May I Use You?
by DeathGoblin
Summary: After seeing his 18-year old body for the first time, a lustful android 18 takes an injured Gohan to a secret location to rape him. Will she have her way with him? Or will this turn into something more? And what about 17, Bulma and Trunks?
1. Standstill

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

An 18-year old Gohan ascended the mighty Korin Tower. It had been a year since his last battle with the androids, and he needed to replenish his senzu bean supply.

Within a few moments, the magnificent sight, which was the top of the tower, came into view.

Smiling, Gohan increased his speed and was at the top in less than a second. "Hey Korin," he called happily.

"That you Gohan," came the voice of the cat. "My you grown up," he said, noting the size difference. "You look just like your father…except for the hair off course."

Gohan chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I suppose you came because you needed more senzu beans."

"I sure did. Those androids can really do a number on a guy."

Korin's face darkened somewhat. "I see…I'll give what I have left, but please don't go rushing off into battle the next time they attack. Please only engage them sparingly."

Gohan was taken aback by Korin's mood change. "But why Korin? I can't just leave all those people out there to suffer while I hide away."

"You won't be hiding Gohan. You'll be training to get stronger. I said those were all I had left. You see Gohan; the plant that grows the senzu beans is intimately connected with the earth itself. The earth's health is reflected in its own, and right now the Earth is dying under the reign of the androids. The plants stopped producing beans long ago, and even before then, the quality and healing power of each bean decreased as the androids killed more and more."

"Isn't that why I have to get out there and kill them as soon as possible?"

"I would agree with eliminating a problem as quickly as possible, but I doubt you'd be able to do that anytime soon. I know you've sensed it Gohan. You would never have survived this long without the beans, but now the beans ability to heal you has decreased."

Korin got the remaining beans and handed them to Gohan. There were only five. "I suspect you'll need three of them to heal you now."

Gohan looked at the beans in his palm, then back at Korin. A worried look had crossed his face. "I've noticed something else too. It started about a year ago."

"What is it?" asked Korin in a concerned tone.

"My power…it's barely improved. I doubled my strength in the first three years after the androids arrived. However, lately my power hasn't been increasing much at all…no matter how hard I try…it feels like I'm standing still."

Cupping his chin, Korin went into deep thought. _This is most peculiar. I'm sure the rate of power increase would go up as Gohan got stronger…it was true for him all this time, why the sudden change._

"I have no idea what's going on," said Korin as he looked back up. "I'll look into it, but please don't challenge the androids the next time they attack. This issue you told me about only proves my point. You won't be ready to face them for a long time. Maybe you should wait. Trunks should be 8 years old now. Train him, and eventually, the two of you might prevail."

Gohan nodded with a serious expression. "Thanks Korin." After exchanging some more news, Gohan left his old friend behind, to go join the rest of the world below.

* * *

A few weeks later…

Gohan sat was watching some television in his living room. He had just finished the breakfast his mother had made, and was trying to relax with some cartoons…but his mind kept wandering to his disturbing lack of strength.

_This isn't right…I should be stronger…why can I beat them yet? I know my dad would've if he were alive. _

Just then, the cartoons were replaced by a news bulletin.

"_The androids are attacking Ginger town! They've already taken down the local militia and are playing cat and mouse with the remaining survivors." _

_The despair was evident in the man's voice. Sounds of screaming people, and explosions made up the background noise._

Gohan clenched the arm of the sofa he sat in. _ I…but Korin told me to hang back for a while._

However he could not. The reporter's last words hit him hard. The androids had found their way to him and he was about to die. He made one last plea.

"_We were just people. We didn't do anything wrong. Why are you torturing us?" _

_Sadistic female laughter could be heard. _

"_If anyone listening has the power to do so, please, I beg of you…don't let them hurt anyone else! No one deser-" _

_That was it, the man had died. His words stung deeply, a he had been on the verge of tears._

Gohan felt anger well up inside of him. Grabbing the bag of senzu bean, he tied it around his sash. _Sorry Korin, but that was all I could take._

* * *

At explosion sounded as a car burst into flames. There was running and screaming and the sound of debris hitting the ground. The only laughter was it of the man who had caused it.

Seventeen's eyes gleamed proudly at his accomplishment. "Now that's what I call destruction."

A whimpering sound caught his attention. Turning his head to the side, a euphonious and almost insane smile adorned his face. It was a little girl clutching a teddy bear. Her parents were nowhere to be found.

The android walked towards her, his advance was purposefully slow. He wanted her to see the end coming. He wanted to see her fear as she waited for the end to come.

The girl shook with fear as the android loomed over her. "Awe…did I scare you?"

She remained silent, fearfully staring into his eyes.

His grin broadened. "I suppose I should put you out of my misery." Raising his hand menacingly, he materialized a ball of ki, ready to vaporize the girl.

However, before he could make his move a boot connected with his cheek, sending him into an intact gas station.

Smiling down at the little girl, Gohan told her to run before an angry android Seventeen regained his footing.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," said Seventeen as he emerged from the destroyed gas station.

"So you've finally come. I knew staying near Seventeen would pay off," said Eighteen as she landed next to Seventeen.

Gohan tensed up. "It's been a while since I've fought you both at once."

Seventeen chuckled. "Oh that's right, Eighteen hasn't had a chance to fight you for a while. You've always run off before she arrived."

Eighteen started walking towards Gohan. "Seventeen, stay out of this. You've fought Gohan for the past four years. It's about time I got a crack at him."

Cracking his knuckles, Gohan slid into his fighting stance. _I'll never forget that face. She's the one who killed Piccolo. And from her voice, I know she killed that man on the news. I will defeat her!_

Looking him up and down, Eighteen couldn't help but smile. _My…he's all grown up._ Licking her lips, she took her own stance. _ I think I'll have my own fun with him._

* * *

This is first chapter is more of a teaser. Again, I wanted to take advantage of my inspiration. This story was the winner of the pole, so I was bound to do it first anyway.


	2. Desire

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan and Eighteen stared each other down. Their eyes locked as each one waited tried to predict the other's movements. Their bodies were tensed and primed for quick action.

Looking back and forth between the two, Seventeen started to grow impatient. "Come on you two, any time now."

Eighteen was the first to move. She decided to rush at Gohan with a full frontal assault. She tested his defense with a punch and was pleased when his bare forearm blocked it.

"Not bad Gohan, but can you handle this?" Twisting her body, she brought her leg up and aimed a kick for his neck.

Gohan blocked the attack with his forearm, but it took considerably more effort. _She's strong, not as strong as the other one, but I'll still have to be careful, even as a super saiyan._

Pulling back her leg, Eighteen leapt back, and gave him a sly smile. "Why don't we take it up a notch."

"As you wish." Clenching his fists, Gohan yelled as a golden aura flared around him. His hair shot up and turned blond and his eyes became teal. As the transformation ended, his aura became a golden flame that danced around him.

Eighteen chuckled. "That's an impressive trick, but don't think turning colors will scare me."

Gohan phased in front of Eighteen and launched a barrage of punches. The android was able to block or dodge all of them and eventually started throwing her own. They eventually fell into a sequence; block, dodge, punch, block punch.

Seventeen smirked as he watched the battle. _He hasn't improved at all. I could easily eat him, but I'm not so sure about Eighteen. I wonder how well she'll do._

As they continued to exchange blows, Gohan realized that the battle was not progressing. _If this keeps up, I'll run out of energy and she'll kill me. _

They had only been exchanging punches at this point, and Gohan noticed how weak Eighteen's lower body defense was. As he blocked an incoming punch, he stepped in, attempting to trip her.

Even though Gohan had the advantage, Eighteen couldn't help but enjoy the contact. As he tripped her, Gohan had position his waist behind her butt. He had then brought his leg forward to lift hers, and through her center of gravity.

Catching herself on her hands, Eighteen did a back flip, advertising her gorgeous behind to her opponent.

Eighteen's rear was the farthest thing from Gohan's mind as he capitalized on her opening. Rushing forward, he rammed into her back when she was halfway through the back flip and bulldozed her into a building.

Seventeen slapped his forehead. "Come Eighteen. Stop toying around, I know you can fight better than this."

Gohan rammed Eighteen into a thick, metal support beam before backing away a few feet. _What luck, she's not as strong as her brother. I just hope he doesn't interfere before I can finish her. _

Getting back up, Eighteen dusted off her clothes before smiling at her opponent. "Ooooo, you're so strong. You even managed to get my clothes dirty." The sarcasm was evident.

Gohan powered up, flaring his golden aura. "Stop toying around, Fight like you mean it."

Eighteen pouted. "Can't a girl have her fun?"

Gohan growled before leaping forward. He aimed a punch at her face, but was surprised when she casually dodged it. He then felt a fist lodge in his gut, causing him to double over. To his chagrin, his head ended up on her shoulder.

Eighteen's voice tickled his ear. "You still want me to go all out?"

Gohan smiled. "Actually, I'd rather crush you at your best." Grabbing her shoulders, he brought his knee up into her gut.

Eighteen doubled over, but was then picked up by the collar of her shirt. She found herself face to face with Gohan.

"What's the matter? Too rough for you?"

Eighteen chuckled. "Actually, I like it rough." Licking her lips, she grabbed the arm that held her by the shirt, and wrenched it off. As she freed herself, she brought her leg up and kicked his chin.

As he went flying into the air, Gohan caught himself and flew back. He swung at her and missed, before leaning back to dodge her punch. Seeing an opportunity, he fell onto his back and exploited her weak lower defense. Using his arms to help him, he caught her legs and tripped her, before rolling to the side and regained his footing.

Forming a ki ball, Gohan threw it at the downed android. However, Eighteen rolled out of the way and the blast shot through the floor and exited the building.

As she rolled onto her back, Eighteen fired a barrage of smaller ki blasts, all of which Gohan deflected. The blasts gave her enough time to regain her footing.

She and Gohan then charged forward and tried to punch each other. Catching each other's wrists, they found themselves in a standoff with neither one being able to use their arms without risk of a counter attack.

Eighteen tried to knee Gohan's gut, but Gohan predicted that move and blocked with his own leg. Since kicking wouldn't get them anywhere, they resorted to head butting.

As they rammed their foreheads together, Eighteen gave Gohan a devious smile.

"May I have this dance?"

Gohan's face contorted into a confused look. "What?"

Eighteen slid her right foot towards Gohan's, and then used her left foot to lift Gohan's right leg. Now they were both balancing on one foot. Eighteen then turned her head right, forcing Gohan's to turn in the same direction. They now looked like they were doing a strange form of ballet with one foot on the ground and the other in the air.

To Gohan's chagrin, their cheeks where now touching.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll cut out." Using his grounded foot, Gohan leapt away from her as he let go of her left wrist.

Eighteen let go of his right wrist, allowing him to regain some distance. "That was fun Gohan. We should do this more often."

Gohan rubbed his cheek with disgust. "In your dreams. Oh that's right, machines don't have dreams."

Eighteen mentally flinched at his hateful words. However, she quickly regained her composure and caught a fist from Gohan. She then caught his other fist with her other hand.

Lacing their fingers together, each one tried to push the other back. Gohan's aura flared as he pushed with all his might. As he looked at her face, he couldn't help but notice the feral look in her eyes. The hair, which was normally tucked behind her left ear, had fallen out of place, giving her face a primal look.

As they pushed harder, the building they were in began to crumble. The floor they were on started falling to the ground like a descending elevator. Their bodies seemed shielded from the outside as the roof broke over the invisible dome of energy that had formed above them; a product of their struggle.

As the building collapsed, they remained rigidly fixed in their position on the ground. Neither one would yield to the other. As they put more power into it, a crater formed around them.

Seventeen smirked when he regained sight of them. _ It looks like they've kicked it into high gear now. Guess they're even, which means that Eighteen'll eventually win._

Locking eyes with him, Eighteen used Gohan's arms as leverage to send her over him. With the resistance gone, Gohan stumbled forward.

Catching him in a headlock, Eighteen pressed her body into him. "I think it's time I end this." After quickly licking his earlobe, she applied more pressure.

N-No! I…I can't… Gohan's vision blurred as he started to loose balance. He would've collapsed onto the ground if Eighteen wasn't holding him up. Slowly, he blacked out. His hair returned to his normal black color as his body slumped.

Letting him go, Eighteen watched with a satisfied look as he lay on the ground. _It's time for the real fun to begin, but first I'll have to deal with Seventeen. _

"Bravo sis," said Seventeen as he clapped. Approaching her, he saw Gohan's unmoving body. "Looks like he's out. Want to kill him now?"

Eighteen shrugged. "Sure, but let me do this."

"Fine," replied Seventeen. Eighteen formed a ball of ki in her hand as they rose into the air. It wouldn't kill him, but it was look the part. "Now die!" She threw the ball of ki into Gohan's unconscious body, causing a small explosion that threw up a dust cloud. Why the dust settled, it revealed Gohan's upper body to be badly burned.

"Looks like you got him sis," said Seventeen. "Let's go home now."

"Go on ahead Seventeen," replied Eighteen. "I think there was a shop that you didn't destroy. I'm going to go shopping."

"Fine, as long as I don't have to come."

When Seventeen was gone, Eighteen landed next to Gohan's body. She sighed with relief when she saw the intact sac of senzu beans. Pulling one out, she broke it in half.

She then placed the bean into his mouth and helped it slide down his throat. _That should only partially heal him. I should be able to handle him when he wakes up. _

The burns disappeared from his body, but he was still unconscious. His body was intact, but his energy was drained. Eighteen lustfully gazed down at the ripped muscles of his back.

A light blush crossed her face as she picked up his half naked body. _ Time to go to my special secret hideout. _

She flew off with the unconscious Gohan in her arms. After an hour or so of flying she arrived at an abandoned town. She had picked this location for two reasons. The first was that it was far away from their normal home, so the chances of running into Seventeen were minimal. This was where she would keep all of her stolen clothes. She knew that Seventeen licked to destroy them for fun. The second, and most important reason was that there were no humans around for miles.

She entered an abandoned house that didn't look special on the outside. However, on the inside it looked like it'd been spruced up. Everything had been restored to pristine condition and it was clean enough to live in.

She carried Gohan to the bedroom and laid him under the covers. She eyed him lustfully as she licked her lips. The only reason she didn't strip him completely was the fact that doing so would be half the fun when he woke up.

Knowing that he wouldn't have the energy to leave after waking up, Eighteen left to prepare for the night.

* * *

I know I said I wouldn't update so soon, but 'The Ultimate Threat' is just one chapter away from ending and I didn't want to waste this inspiration. Also, this story is rated M for a reason. I probably won't write a full blown lemon, but I'll probably go above and beyond what I've written in 'Odd Affection'.

Also, about the fight, I wanted it to see sexually charged. Eighteen felt and embraced the sexual tension between them while Gohan was disturbed by it and shut it out completely.


	3. It Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan's eyelids felt heavy. His utter exhaustion was the only clue that he was alive. When he realized that he wasn't injured anymore, he thought he was dead, but a dead person wouldn't feel exhausted.

Something didn't feel quite right. He wasn't on the cold, hard ground. Instead, he was on a nice, warm, bed. Someone must have brought him here.

_But who…who would risk their life to come find my body, then bring me back here? _ Gohan's mind didn't have the strength to race, otherwise it would have been thinking up hundreds of scenarios that would land him in a bed like this.

Then he felt a hand stroke his cheek. There wasn't much tenderness in it, more like an eagerness to know what his cheek felt like. Yet, it felt soft, and feminine.

Gohan's mind didn't process this information for long though. His exhaustion caught up and he faded back into a deep sleep.

Eighteen had noticed him stir a few moments ago. He had barely regained consciousness, only to fall asleep again. Now she was preparing a meal for him. She knew he would wake up soon and she knew he would need food to replenish enough energy.

The meal she had prepared was fit for a saiyan. It consisted of a twelve-egg omelet, a large bowl of soup, another large bowl of cereal, and three glasses each contained milk, orange juice and water respectively. She had chosen the foods that would nourish him to the point where he could perform with her in bed, but not resist her in battle.

She saw his fingers twitching as she brought the large tray over to him and set it on the bedside stand.

Gohan groaned as his eyes started to open. "Oh…" The smell of food nearby told him of another problem. He needed to eat. His strength had been drained and his body needed nourishment.

Sitting up in bed, he slowly opened his eyes.

Eighteen giggled silently before hiding away in another room. She had left a note on the tray that would surely play tricks on his mind.

As he looked around, Gohan couldn't sense anyone else in the room, or in the surrounding area. However, someone had apparently left a tray of food for him.

_How strange_, he thought. _Why would someone leave me this food and then get up and then leave before I even woke up. This food looks fresh, but I can't sense anyone within sprinting distance. Hmm…maybe that note will explain things. _

Picking up the note, Gohan started reading.

_Dear brave hero,_

_I saw how bravely you fought against those horrible androids. I just couldn't stand by and let you die. After they left the area, I brought your body here so you could heal up. I tried giving you one of the senzu beans you had with you, but it only healed up you injuries. It could not restore your strength. I've gone out now, but I left behind a tray of food for you to help restore your strength._

_With love,_

_Yours truly_

Raising an eyebrow, Gohan tried to piece things together. _Ok…well at least I know this food's for me…but I have no idea who to thank. I just hope she comes back soon…wait a minute; I don't even know that it's a girl who rescued me, and how does she know about the senzu beans?_

Shrugging it off, Gohan started eating the food. He noted the kinds of food he was eating. It was highly unlikely that any man would prepare a meal like this. In fact, it seemed like a meal only a doting mother or health-conscious girlfriend would prepare.

Upon finishing said meal, he felt the drowsiness return. Wiping his face with the napkin he had been provided, Gohan lay back down to sleep.

Eighteen only emerged once his breathing turned rhythmic. _Wow…he's a fast eater._ She then looked down at the empty containers on the tray. _And he definitely knows how to clean his plate. _

Picking up the tray, Eighteen moved it to the kitchen and placed the plates in the dishwasher. Once that was done, she went back to check up on Gohan.

As she approached the bed, she saw him tossing and turning in his sleep. The meal had given his mind the energy to have nightmares and this one had something to do with her.

"N-No…Piccolo…leave him alone…stop it…no…don't." He looked so vulnerable and weak in his current state. Tossing and turning like a child with abusive parents who haunted his dreams.

Eighteen smiled as she sat down at the side of the bed. For some reason, she pitied him. Scooting closer, she placed a hand on his forehead, rubbing it gently.

"Hush now," she cooed. "You're safe now…just be calm."

Gohan stirred as he listened to those sweet words. His nightmare died down as he woke up. The voice he heard was sweet, yet familiar in some unexplainable way.

As he tried to open his eyes, he felt her hand over them. "Please rest now. You need to keep up your strength."

"But I…I must stop the androids…they could be hurting someone right now."

"You can't fight them the way you are," she replied. "Please stay the night and rest. You've done so much already. Why don't you let me pick up the slack? I'll do what I can to make you comfortable."

As a hardened fighter, Gohan was always anxious to trust strangers, but this woman's voice was so soothing. It sounded so sweet and gentle. However, there was something he had to know…something he needed to know.

"What's your name?"

Eighteen smiled and straddled Gohan. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his before moving them to his ear. "You'll find out when you wake up tomorrow."

Gohan couldn't help but smile. "That's no fun."

Eighteen nuzzled his face. "It is for me."

Chuckling, Gohan took everything in. She had a sweet voice, and apparently a sense of humor. However, what stood out in his mind the most was her smell. It was a sweet, and intoxicating odor. It comforted him to be close to her, yet it carried a sense of spiciness as well. There was another side to her, which he couldn't see at the moment, yet he wanted to know more. He needed to know more about her.

Pulling back and getting off him, Eighteen tucked the covers around him before kissing his forehead. "Promise me you'll stay the night," she said in a sweet voice.

He couldn't resist. "Off course I will."

"Good, I need to go out and run some late night errands. The androids usually don't attack lone humans at night."

Gohan felt a wave of concern wash over him. She was going outside, out into an anarchist's world, in the middle of the night.

Eighteen seemed to pick up on his concern and rubbed his forehead reassuringly. " Don't worry about me. I'm well trained in the art of self-defense. I can easily handle any hoodlums or muggers that would be prowling about."

"Okay…just stay safe."

"I will," she replied as she left the room. Once outside and out of his earshot, she broke out into a fit of laughter. _ Oh my god! I can't believe that actually worked. Guess he really doesn't recognize me when I'm using my sweet voice. _

Regaining her composure, she took off towards her and Seventeen's home. Her brother would surely want an explanation for her absence.

* * *

Bulma sat down at the dinner table with her eight-year old son. She smiled as she watched him inhale his food.

"You think Gohan's gonna come visit some time soon?" asked Trunks with a half-full mouth.

By now, Bulma knew better than to scold Trunks about manners, because he would always end up violating them again.

"I don't know Trunks. It's dangerous to fly to a city in these times. You'll probably end up as a target for the androids."

"I hate those two," said Trunks. "I hope Gohan let's me come with him next time so I can help fight them."

Bulma shook her head. "No Trunks, you're not going out to fight. I'm letting Gohan train you, but I made it very clear to him that he's not allowed to take you into battle with him."

"But I'm a super saiyan mom! I can help too!"

"That's enough Trunks," said Bulma. She knew not to yell back at Trunk when he was like this, and took the calm approach instead. "Your father was also a super saiyan and he was much stronger than you are now. Yet he couldn't even lay a finger on one of the androids, let alone fight both of them."

Trunks looked back down at his food. The fire in him had been extinguished. _Mom's right. Gohan said that even he couldn't beat one of the androids, even though he's much stronger than dad was._ "I'm sorry mom. You're right, I still have a lot to learn."

Just then, the phone rang.

Bulma tilted her head to the side curiously. "That's odd, who would be calling us right now?"

Getting up, she picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Bulma Briefs speaking."

"Bulma, it's terrible!" exclaimed a distressed Chichi.

"What is it Chichi?" Bulma could tell that something really bad had happened. Nowadays, Chichi rarely ever became so emotional.

"It's Gohan…" said Chichi in a sobbing voice. "He went out to fight the androids and…he never came back!" Chichi broke out into another fit of sadness.

"He's been out this long before, why is this so different?"

"I…I just know something's wrong Bulma. Master Roshi called me a few hours ago and said that he couldn't sense Gohan anymore."

Bulma's eyes widened. Out of all the people she knew, Master Roshi had always been the most adept at sensing energy. Whenever either she or Chichi felt worried about Gohan, they would contact him and he would calm them by finding and confirming Gohan's ki. If he couldn't find Gohan, then nobody else could.

"Oh my…I'm…I'm so sorry Chichi," said Bulma as she tried to hold back her own tears.

Trunks looked on with a concerned expression. He had grown sensitive in these hard times and knew when someone was feeling upset.

As Bulma put the phone down, she saw felt Trunks hugging her legs. Looking down, she saw the concern in his eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"I…Trunks…" She could not control her tears and break the news at the same time. "I got a call from Chichi…"

"Was it about Gohan?" asked Trunks, fearing the answer.

Bulma nodded as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "She said that Gohan went off to fight the androids, and never came home."

Trunks eyes widened as he understood the significance of his mother's words, but he held back the tears. He had to be strong for his mother. The Earth's fate was in his hands now. He had to be strong, and make Gohan proud.

As he comforted his mother, the fire reignited inside of him. _Don't worry Gohan. I will avenge your death. I will make both of those androids pay for what they have done to you and this planet! I'll make you proud!

* * *

_

Seventeen watched his sister land with crossed arms. He noted that she had no new clothes, throwing out the idea that she had been shopping.

As she approached the front door to their house, he moved away from the window and to the side of the house's foyer. The door clicked as Eighteen opened it.

Stepping inside, Eighteen turned to face her brother. He didn't look mad, but he had a questioning look on his face. His arms were crossed and an eyebrow was raised.

"Couldn't find that store?" he asked. "I suppose that explains why you haven't brought anything home with you. Though I wonder, what have you been doing all this time?"

Eighteen put her hands on her hips. "Since when do I have to report my every move to you? I was just out."

Seventeen raised his hands defensively. "Fine by me, but I am curious though. When you were out, were you with someone?"

Eighteen could tell he was just teasing her, but it put her on edge. Seventeen felt that all humans and saiyans were inferior, and having sex with any of them was out of the question in his mind. If he found out the truth, there would be problems.

She decided to play along though. "So what if I was out with a human? Why would you care Seventeen?"

Seventeen chuckled. "Come on Eighteen, you know how I feel about humans. They're such inferior creatures."

Eighteen also chuckled.

"Well I guess I'll turn in for the night."

"Yeah, why do you even do that?" asked Eighteen playfully. "We don't need to sleep."

"Yeah, but dreams are fun. I can dream about all sorts of scenarios in which I torture people. Every dream is like a little surprise."

Eighteen shrugged. "You've got a point. Guess I'll try it out too some time. I'll be downstairs for a while."

"Right, well goodnight then." As Seventeen went up the stairs to his room, Eighteen plopped down on the couch in their living room.

_Well that takes care of Seventeen…for now. I'll just have to go back there early in the morning before Gohan wakes up. He should be well rested by then._ A devious smile crept onto Eighteen's face. Tomorrow would be the day.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. I also hope that I'll get some more reviews. I'm especially curious about how well I'm portraying Eighteen. She isn't meant to have any obvious traits that would lead her to fall for Gohan just yet. Right now, she's just using him and I'm trying to portray her as cruel, manipulative and calculating.


	4. Gohan's Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen arrived at her hideout at around five in the morning. Seventeen was still asleep, and Gohan hadn't woken up yet.

Entering the room, she noted that he seemed more peaceful now. Apparently their last encounter had soothed his mind.

She shook her head. _Men…so easy to please. _

Since he didn't seem like he would get up soon, Eighteen decided to get her disguise ready. She went into her own room at the hideout and sat in front of a mirror. On the table in front of her was some purple hair die. There were also some special Contac lenses, when on her eyes; they would give them a greenish-brown look.

With her ki manipulation skills to assist her, it only took around half an hour to die her hair. She then placed the Contac lenses on her eyes. Looking in the mirror, she smiled at her handy work. She looked nothing like herself and only Seventeen would recognize her now.

However, Gohan was not a fool. She had to change her clothes. Otherwise, he would recognize her from the Red Ribbon insignia on her normal clothes.

Walking over to her wardrobe closet, she opened it and looked through her inventory. She wanted something that was seductive, but wouldn't make her seem like a slut.

"Ah, that's perfect." She reached in and pulled out a nice white button-up shirt and black pants. After putting them on, she looked at herself in the mirror.

The combination of white top and black pant gave her a sophisticated look, yet it also advertised her curves and assets in a good way.

Hearing him yawn, she made her way back to the room he was in.

Gohan's eyes opened. He was thankful of the room's dimness as it gave his eyes a chance to adjust to daytime without any pain.

"You're awake," came a voice from the door.

Looking over, Gohan couldn't help but stare at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Although he still couldn't shake a certain familiarity about her, he was too taken to care.

She placed her hands on her hips and smirked at him. "So, do you like what you see?"

Upon hearing her words, Gohan snapped out of his trance. "Um…sorry for staring. I just…never mind."

She giggled at his shyness. To Gohan's ears it was unmistakable. This was the woman who had saved him.

_That's odd…I can't sense her power level…why is that…well I am feeling a bit weird. Korin said one bean wouldn't be enough to heal me. That must be it. As a normal human, her power level is so low that I can't detect it in my current state._ "Thanks…for everything."

She walked over to him and sat down on the bed. "I was just doing my part. You're the one who's been fighting the androids."

Gohan scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…but I haven't exactly done a very good job against them. I'm not even a match for one of them, let alone both."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she feigned a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll beat them…eventually."

Gohan directed his gaze down to the bedcovers, clenching them in his fists.

Eighteen picked up on his change in mood. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just not sure I can beat the androids…ever."

"What makes you say that?"

"I've been training so hard…yet when I power up, my power, it stopped increasing a while ago…I don't know why. Maybe it's because I've reached my limit."

She started rubbing his back, reassuringly. "I don't know much about you…but I'm sure there's something else to it."

To Gohan, her voice seemed to drown away his troubles. There was something in it that sounded so sweet. He then remembered their last encounter. "By the way," he said with a smile. "You said you'd tell me your name today."

She smiled back. "My name's Jackie. So, now that you know my name, it's only fair that you tell me yours."

"It's Gohan."

"Gohan? That's a nice name," she said before leaning in. "I like it."

Gohan gave her a shy smile. He then remembered something. "You said you didn't know much about me, yet in that note you left me you mentioned the senzu beans. How do you know about them?"

The lies easily rolled off her tongue. "I've read a lot of mythology and lore. I read about magical healing beans. I assumed that's what you had with you when you fought the androids. I gave you one and it worked just as the myths said it would. Figures that I'd find magical beans in the hands of a handsome hero like yourself."

Gohan couldn't help but blush. After years of fighting had been hardened towards many things. That included women; he had learned through android 18 that a pretty face isn't everything. However, this woman was different.

In the eight years he had bee fighting, no one had ever bothered to come get him when he was beaten by the androids. His family and friends would, but they couldn't follow him to every battle he fought. The locals of the cities were never ones to stick their neck out to save a stranger. He couldn't blame them, they had their own loved ones to worry about, but this girl…she cared enough to come out and get him. She was so small, yet she brought his beaten and bloody body into her house and nursed him back to health.

Gohan felt his heart beat faster and faster as she leaned in closer. "There's something you need to know."

She tilted her head to the side and gave him a questioning look. "What is it?'

"Well…you're the first person outside of my friends and family to care about me…it…means a lot to me."

Eighteen's grin broadened as she leaned closer. "How much."

Gohan grinned back as he also leaned forward. Her soothing aroma hypnotized his naïve, 18-year old mind. "More than you can imagine."

He saw her eyes close, and followed suit. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in as they locked lips.

Eighteen was snickering on the inside. _That dope's playing right into my hands. _

Shoving all doubt out of his mind, Gohan deepened the kiss. He needed this. After eight harsh years of fighting the androids he needed a woman. Some one who would support him when he went out to fight, and then hold him at night when he came back.

Eighteen wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around his neck. Her teenage hormones were going wild. _ I had no idea it would be this fun. _

The broke apart and stared into each other's eyes.

Getting a closer look, Gohan thought she looked familiar. _How strange…she looks like…the androids…but she can't be an android. No, it must be coincidence. _

Looking into his eyes, Eighteen couldn't help but smirk at the loving look he had. "Did you enjoy it?"

"I…I loved it." Gohan felt a wave of emotion. Instinctively, he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you."

Eighteen was caught slightly off guard. She didn't expect this. What happened next completely threw her off.

Inhaling her scent, Gohan felt safe. He felt he could pour it all out in front of her. "These…past few years…I didn't know how much more I could take." He broke out into a sob. "They've taken so much from me…I've got barely anything left. They've taken my master, my friends, and my childhood."

Eighteen didn't know what to do; this wasn't part of her calculations. Realizing that she had to do something, she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back.

"It's…it's okay. I've lost my family too. I'm here for you." _I'd better get some out of this. _

"Th-Thanks…again." He held onto her as if she were his lifeline. "Eight years…I've lost eight years to those monsters."

"I know you'll beat them. You'll get them back someday."

He rested his head on her shoulder. It might have been his hormones going a mile a minute, but he had never felt this way before. He could show her his soft side.

Eighteen tilted her head to the side and rested her cheek on his head. _Now that he's stopped crying, this doesn't feel half bad._

While Eighteen was calmly waiting for him to make next move, Gohan's mind was racing. _Should I ask her…I barely know her. I know this only happens in fairytales…but I want more. I know there's something there, otherwise she would never have kissed me the way she did._

Eighteen pulled back so she could see Gohan's face. Then, she tried to lean in for another kiss, but noticed his uncertain expression. She tilted her head to the side questioningly. "What's wrong Gohan?"

Gohan took a deep breath before speaking. "Jackie, I need to ask you something."

She blinked in confusion. _Now what's he going to do?_

He averted his eyes before turning back to her. His palms were starting to sweat and he could feel the heat on his face. "Will you…I mean I don't want to come off as a creep, but…will you…be my girlfriend?"

Eighteen smiled before planting a kiss on his lips. "Off course, I'd love to be you're girlfriend." _Damn It! I'd better get compensated for this soon!_

He couldn't help but smile. This was his first relationship. He had found someone at age 18, just as his father had.

Eighteen fluttered her eyes and gave him a seductive grin. "What're you waiting for Gohan?" Tilting her head, she revealed her neck to him. "Don't you want some of this?"

Gohan's face turned red, he wasn't quite used to this yet. However, he couldn't refuse those eyes. Leaning forward, he fondled her neck with kisses.

She let out moans of pleasure. She was finally getting what she wanted. Reaching down to his waist, she tried to pull off his shirt.

Gohan stopped and gave her a confused look. "Why are you-"

She cut him off by placing her finger on his lips. "I guess you don't know how it's done. Let me teach."

Gohan's heart race as he felt her fingers underneath his shirt. Slowly, she pulled it off.

"Now it's your turn. You have to do it to me." She yanked at the collar of her shirt and winked.

"Okay…" Gohan cautiously started unbuttoning her shirt. As he progressed to the one on her breasts he was faced with a dilemma. He wanted to continue, but he didn't want to come off as a pervert by touching her breasts.

Reaching for the button, he tugged it forward in an attempt to unbutton it, but as he tried, his finger accidently brushed up against her breast.

Pulling back, he gave her an apologetic look. What she did next shocked him. Grabbing his wrist, she brought his hand back onto her breast.

"It's okay Gohan. You're allowed to touch them. In fact, I'd appreciate it you did."

"Oh…" When she removed her hand from his wrist, he continued unbuttoning her shirt; his face beat red. Once her was done, he pulled it off and put it aside. When he looked back, his eyes went wide. She wasn't wearing a bra, and now her breasts were exposed to him. They were bigger than he thought

"Um…wow…" Gohan found it hard not to look at them.

"Hey." Her voice caught his attention as he looked back at her face. She then directed his gaze down to her pants. "We still need to take these off."

Gohan gulped. Even though he enjoyed this, he was afraid of doing something wrong that would upset her. He desperately wanted to know more.

As he reached down to unzip her pants, he sensed an explosion. _Why now? How am I going to explain this to Jackie?_

Noticing his change in demeanor, Eighteen rubbed his cheek. _Now what? Oh, I'll bet this has something to do with Seventeen. _"What is it Gohan?"

"I…I just sensed an explosion."

"You…sensed an explosion?" _Why Seventeen?_

"It's hard to explain, but you know that the androids and I have special powers right?"

"Oh, you mean the control of ki. I'm familiar with the terminology so you don't need to put it in laymen's terms for me."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Anyway, I can sense when someone uses their ki. Off course, I can't sense the ambient ki of the androids because their power is artificial. They're not real living things."

Eighteen felt a twinge in her heart when he said that. She never liked being referred to as a machine.

Gohan picked up on her change in mood. "Is something wrong Jackie?"

She shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about how the androids took my family." _Come one, take the bait._

Gohan placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "I understand your pain."

Eighteen smiled back at him. _That's right, stay here and comfort me._

"But that's why I must go out and fight. I have to stop the suffering."

Eighteen gave him a sad smile. "Please don't go." _ Damn it! Stay here! I have to think of…ah that's it._ "You're not fully recovered yet."

"But I have to try. I'll try for you."

She shook her head. "Don't kid yourself. I'm sure you can sense your own ki."

Gohan sighed, and gave her a sad smile. "You're right…but it's hard not doing anything. I know these powers I have are amazing…but sometimes I feel like they're more of a curse than a gift. Because I have them, if I don't fight, I feel like a coward, but whenever I do, I always get labeled as the nut job who thinks he can beat the androids."

"I've herd people talk of you as a hero a few times." She was actually telling the truth. There had been a minority who viewed Gohan as a hero instead of a crazy idiot.

"Really?" asked Gohan with hope in his eyes. When he saw her nod, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted. There were people out there, besides those he knew, who believed in him. "That's great."

"So…are going to stay?" _For god's say, just stay here and fuck me!_

"Well…you said there are people out there who believe in me. I can't let them down."

_Damn it! _"Please don't go. Stay here…for me. Besides, the hope will live on with you. What will all those people think if you died in battle because you went out before recovering fully?" _This better work!_

Staring back down at the bed, Gohan considered her words. _If I go out and fight…I'll probably die. I'll never see her again, and the Earth will lose its best chance for freedom. Besides, I don't want little Trunks to shoulder this burden at his age. _

He turned back to her with a smile. "I'll stay here and rest then."

Eighteen smiled. _Yes! Yes! Yes!_

Leaning forward, Gohan planted a kiss on her lips. "We can pick up where we left off."

* * *

This was probably the longest chapter yet. I hope Gohan doesnt come off as being like Krillin. I was trying to portraying him as a broken soul, who's more vulnerable than he seems. She's taking advantage of his moment of weakness. Also, he's inexperienced in the world of love, and naturally naive, though not in a way that Goku would be.

I hope that reading Eighteen's words and her thoughts next to each other formed a humerous situation.


	5. Eighteen's Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Trunks sensed an explosion in the nearby city. Powering up to his super saiyan state, he was about to fly off to face the androids.

"Hold it right there young man!"

Turning around, Trunks saw his mother, Bulma, looking at him with a serious expression.

"Mom, I have to go. It's what Gohan would do."

"You're not Gohan. You're still too young. You're not nearly as strong as Gohan was when he fought the androids."

"But…all those people."

"Yes Trunks, think about the people. Go out there, and you can save a handful at the cost of your own life. As a result, those few will live a little longer only to perish later. If you stay here and train, you'll eventually surpass the androids and be able to avenge all the people you didn't go out and save."

Trunks directed his gaze to the ground. His clenched fists advertised his frustration. _She's right…if I go out and die, I'll end up dooming humanity to suffer for the rest of eternity. _

Looking back up, he gave her a smile. "Alright mom, I'll stay here."

Bulma smiled back. "Good, maybe instead of fighting, you should start training now."

Trunks nodded. "Alright mom." Sliding into his fighting stance, he started practicing the moves Gohan had taught him.

* * *

Seventeen let out a sigh as he fired another blast, which killed its unfortunate target.

"This just isn't the same," he said to no one in particular. "It's always more fun when Eighteen's here to compete with me."

Walking up to a clothing store, he extended his hand and let loose a powerful ball of ki. A large cloud of dust sprang up as the store was blown to pieces.

As he stared at the debris raining down in front of him, Seventeen felt somewhat awkward without his sister's complaint, which usually accompanied such an action.

_Where on Earth could she be? I know she'd never miss this._ As he pondered his sister's absence, Seventeen heard a whimpering. Turning around, he smiled maliciously at the little girl huddling in the arms of her mother's corpse.

"Mmmm-mommy…" The crying girl looked up fearfully at the android.

"Don't worry little girl," said Seventeen in a mocking tone. "You'll see your mommy real soon." Raising his hand, he charged a ki blast. "When you join her in the next world!" The blast vaporized the little girl's body.

* * *

Eighteen moaned in pleasure as Gohan planted kisses all over her body. She arched her back as his hand started fondling her breast.

"Oh! Gohan…more…more…" As she urged him on, she felt more and more pleasure. _He's a fast learner. He's already gotten better at this. Not bad for a virgin. _

As he continued pleasuring her, Gohan felt her hand on his wrist. He had learned this to be sign that she was guiding him again.

Flashing him a devious grin, she moved his hand to her underwear. Tugging at it suggestively, she instructed him to remove it. However, he didn't do it.

"Is something wrong Gohan?" she asked in a soft tone, stroking his cheek to keep up the façade.

Giving her a serious look Gohan pulled his hand back. "I know what you're planning, and I'm just not ready."

Eighteen gave him a sad smile. "I…I understand." _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!_

"So I guess we'll just continue with what we were already doing." Leaning in, he locked lips with her.

Eighteen was disappointed and she was very annoyed at Gohan, but she couldn't help but admit how nice it felt.

An hour passed, and Gohan felt tired.

"I'm sorry Jackie, but I'm tired." Lying back in the bed, Gohan briefly closed his eyes.

Rolling off him, Eighteen did the same. Reaching out, she grasped his hand. _This better get me somewhere!_

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Is this your first time…I mean, I don't want to touch on anything too sensitive, but you didn't seem to get tired."

Eighteen started to get nervous. Did he suspect she was different?

"Um…no…I guess you're still too tired to tire me out."

Gohan sensed her awkwardness. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that."

"It's fine," replied Eighteen. "Now I want to ask you something. Why is this your first time? You're a very attractive man. Even with the androids, it's hard to believe that you have no idea how to work women."

Gohan directed his gaze away from her. "It's my mom. I know I shouldn't blame her since she was only looking out for me, but she never let me know about any of those things. The only reason I know about sex is because my dad let it slip how I was born, though he quickly shut up when he realized what he had said."

"I see…I suppose she was overprotective…though she might've changed when she realized that you were growing up."

Gohan's expression became sad. "I know, and I could just blame the androids again. However, there's someone who I hate more."

Eighteen raised an eyebrow. "Someone you hate more than the androids?"

"Yes, and that person is a man named Dr. Gero. He's the one who created them."

"I guess that makes sense…what happened to him?" _Now this is completely out of the blue. _

"He was killed by the very androids he created. However, I'll bet he's laughing at us from hell."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, in spite of being killed, his creations still brought the world to its knees. He couldn't beat my father, Goku, who destroyed his Red Ribbon Army or rule the world, but he definitely go his revenge. The androids say they rebelled, but in terrorizing the planet, they've done exactly what Gero wanted them to do."

Eighteen's eyes widened. Her heart, something she had long forgotten, started beating. _Have I…Have I been playing into that old fool's plan all this time? _

"Jackie?"

Snapping out of her trance, Eighteen gave him a sheepish smile. "Oh, it's noting…just that if he could create two androids, could there be more?" _Please don't figure it out._

Gohan shook his head. "The androids destroyed the lab. If there were more, they weren't activated." Sitting up and reaching forward, he stroked her hair.

"I guess so." She grasped his hand.

"If I could stop him, I would've. If only we had known. If only dad had known, then Dr. Gero wouldn't have built those androids."

Sitting up as well, she shook her head. "No, you shouldn't say something like that."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't keep saying if only this had happened, or if only I had done this. You have to make the most of what you have. There's no point in wishing you could change the past."

"B-But…if dad was alive, he would've destroyed the androids by now."

"I doubt that. I'm sure he would've faced the same problems you now face. Besides, you're his son. I'm sure whoever he is, you have the same potential as him."

Gohan smiled. "Thank you."

Rubbing his head, Eighteen lightly pushed him back on the bed. She then placed her hand over his eyes. "You should rest now."

"Alright." He closed his eyes. The tenderness in her voice soothed his pained heart.

Getting up from the bed, Eighteen started walking to the kitchen. "I'll make you some breakfast."

"What about you?"

"I've already eaten. I'm a very light eater. Now rest until I bring you the food."

"Alright." Gohan closed his eyes and rested. He felt some of his power returning, but he still wouldn't be able to go super saiyan. _That's strange…three years ago I would be ready to fight by now. I…I have to recover. I have someone new to fight for._

Walking into the kitchen, Eighteen started preparing Gohan's breakfast.

She started by chopping some vegetables to put in his omelet. _What am I doing? His power is recovering. He could be at full power tomorrow. But wait…didn't he say that he had stopped improving for some reason? Maybe he won't be at full power tomorrow…but still. Why am I wasting this time toying with him? I could just pin him to the bed and rape him, I don't need him to willingly have sex with me._

She finished chopping the tomatoes and moved on to beating the eggs. First, she cracked them open and poured the yolk into the bowl. Then, taking an eggbeater, she began beating the eggs.

_Yes…I'll surprise him tonight. I'll remove my disguise right in front of him, and then rape him after breaking his heart. _ A satisfied smirk played on her lips. She had everything planned out now.

* * *

Bulma paced back and forth in her lab. She found that doing so often led to a breakthrough in her projects. However, this was completely uncharted territory.

Looking back down at her blueprints, she consulted a list of equations she had written on a nearby blackboard. _The size and shape is correct…but I need a different material. It has to be a superconductor at room temperature…but how am I going to find something like that?_

However, her thoughts kept wandering back to Gohan. She felt especially sorry for Chichi and the Ox King. Chichi had to outlive her own son, and in the Ox King's case it was his grandson.

The phone rang, and broke her thoughts. Walking over, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Bulma, it's Master Roshi."

"Master Roshi…please don't tell me something's happened to Trunks."

"No Bulma, Trunks is fine. I just thought it would be better to tell you this before telling Chichi."

"Is it something to do with Gohan?"

"Yes. I've started picking up his energy. It's erratic and only appears in bursts, but I'm sure he's alive. He's weakened considerable, but he appears to be alive nonetheless, and he's been moved from where he last fought the androids."

"So Gohan's alive." Bulma felt like jumping for joy, until she realized something. "Wait, if he's alive, then he could be hurt badly. Can you tell me where he is?"

"Sorry Bulma, but I can't. His power is too faint. I know the region he's in, but I can't pinpoint him. Off course, if Trunks went out, there, he might be able to find him."

"No way, I'm not letting Trunks go out there with androids roaming about."

"Very well, though since Gohan's alive, I assume he's been under someone's care. He should return on his own then."

"Well I hope so."

"Alright then, goodbye Bulma…oh and don't tell Trunks. If he learned that Gohan was alive, he might do something dangerous."

Bulma nodded. "Alright." She heard the phone hang up, and then put her phone down.

Going back to her desk, she resumed her previous activity.

* * *

Eighteen walked back into the room with Gohan's breakfast. Setting it down on the nightstand, she woke him up.

Gohan's eyes opened and he smiled at her. "Thanks."

She smiled at him before sitting down on the bed. "Now eat up."

As Gohan ate, he noted something peculiar about Jackie. She seemed sad. He was much better at paying attention to such things than his father was. Whenever he had touched on a topic about the lives of the androids, she seemed upset.

Putting down his fork, he turned to her. "Jackie, I know this might sound completely out of the blue, and I know I might be wrong, but I've noticed something about you."

Eighteen was caught off guard by this statement. _What's he going to say now? I hope he hasn't figured out who I am._

"You seem sad."

"Sad?" _ Sad…what could I possibly be sad about? I control the planet. I can have whatever I want. How would I ever appear sad to him?_

"Yes, whenever I mention something about the androids you seemed to get upset. You seemed especially upset after I talked about Dr. Gero."

She looked away. _Why'd he have to bring him up?_

Gohan's eye's softened with concern as he leaned towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you're upset about something, you can tell me about it."

_Darn it! Why'd he have to be so perceptive…how could I be so obvious. I'll just have to make up a story or something._ She swallowed before turning back to him. "I…I met Gero when I was younger…he hurt me badly and took my brother from me."

Abandoning his meal, Gohan scooted closer to her and held her tightly. "It's alright. You can cry on my shoulder."

"Huh?" _D-Did he say I could cry? Does he think I'm that kind of girl? _

"I know I'm naïve when it comes to love…but I'm make up for it in my sensitivity to others. It's okay. I'll be there for you, just as you were there for me."

"I...I'm just…I'm just not ready yet. I don't feel like talking about it." Her eyes started to water as images of the painful operations Gero performed on her came to mind. _What is wrong with me…stop crying! Stop crying!_

"It's okay. If it hurts then don't think about it…maybe you'll talk about it later. For now, just let it all out. It'll help you like it helped me."

"B-but I was supposed to be there for you…when you were injured."

Gohan nuzzled her neck. "We can be there for each other. No one can be strong twenty four seven. We can show each other our soft underbellies and cry on each other's shoulders."

She felt warmth from his words. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Not temperature wise, but emotional warmth. It reminded her of a time long forgotten, a time before that mad scientist entered her life.

She cried on his shoulder for a full twenty minutes. In that time, she wasn't Android Eighteen, the destroyer of cities, nor was she Jackie, the false identity meant to trick Gohan. She was the girl who had once been human, the one who Dr. Gero had tried to replace with a killing machine.

* * *

Later in the day, Gohan was sleeping peacefully. After she had calmed down, she had him eat his lunch and take a bath before going back to bed. She guessed he would be out for a few hours.

After washing the dye out of her hair and removing her Contac lenses, Eighteen decided to leave and check in with her brother. As she flew back home, she was beating herself up inside.

_What the hell happened to me? I'm Android Eighteen, not some stupid crybaby girl! How could I let myself go like that?_ Clenching her fists, she cursed the remnants of her humanity.

Landing in front of her house, she was brought out of her thoughts by a throat clearing.

She saw Seventeen standing in the front yard. Apparently, he had just returned from terrorizing a city.

"So what was it this time Eighteen?" he asked in a somewhat serious tone. "You're not one to miss the morning killing spree."

"I was bored of the usual routine, so I decided to…just fly around a bit."

"You've been gone for a few hours. In fact, you were out before I even woke up. What's up with you Eighteen? Why the sudden change?"

_Damn it Seventeen, for once I wished you didn't use your brain!_ "Can't a girl mix things up a little? Besides, I've arrived just in time for the afternoon manslaughter."

Shrugging, Seventeen smiled at his sister. "Guess I over reacted, takes some time to get used to change you know. I suppose we should get going."

Eighteen smiled and nodded. _I'll bet some killing will get my mind back on track. _

Rising into the air, the twins flew off to find their next target.

* * *

I think my chapters are steadily getting longer, though this one and the previous one might be about the same. Anyway, I have some important questions to ask:

1-Does this story seem too fast paced? The time period covered so far is just two days, yet Gohan and Eighteen have opened up some what.

2-Just as the last chapter was supposed to show Gohan's emotional state and why he would've been prone to falling in love, this one was supposed to do the same for Eighteen. Did I do a good job in that respect? (Eighteen hasn't fallen for him just yet, she's only just started to open up).

3-I've mentioned Gohan's lack of power increase for some time now, and was wondering if you've just dismissed it as a trivial fact or if you think it'll hold some significance later on.


	6. Breaking his Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

People screamed in terror as the two androids rained hell onto them. They dropped dead left and right as they were hit with ki blasts.

"Hey Eighteen, looks like I'm up by twenty points."

"Not for long," replied Eighteen as she killed two people simultaneously with ki blasts.

"You think that's impressive, then check this out." Extending his hand, Seventeen fired a large ki blast into a building. This caused the building to collapse onto a group of fleeing people. "There, that's got to be at least fifteen people."

"Well if that's how you're going to play it." Eighteen fired a ki blast into another building, with the same result.

"Alright then, first one to get the most buildings wins," said Seventeen enthusiastically.

The city began to crumble as building after building fell down. The people's screams filled the air as they were crushed or burnt to death.

* * *

Trunks wished that he could go out there and fight, but he knew that he wouldn't be doing anyone any good in doing so.

Powering up into his super saiyan state, he clenched his fists. Then he started throwing punches and kicks. _I have to get stronger so I can beat the androids!_

He had only reached the level of super saiyan a few days ago and wasn't yet used to the form.

Stepping out into the front yard, Bulma noted her son's fatigue. "I think that's enough Trunks. You've been training for hours. It wouldn't be a good idea to train yourself to death."

"But mom, I can't give up until I'm stronger than the androids."

"You can't expect to beat the androids in one training session. Gohan trained just as hard as you did, yet he was not able to surpass the androids."

"Yeah, but Gohan was also out fighting a lot of that time."

"I know Trunks, and because of it, he was also in bed a lot of the time. If you don't pace yourself properly, you'll find yourself in bed more often than out here throwing punches."

Powering down, Trunks directed his gaze at the ground. _She's right…again._

"Lunch is ready, you might want to fill your stomach before continuing anyway."

Trunks face lit up. "Yeah, lunch sounds good." He followed his mother inside.

* * *

Letting out a sigh, Eighteen watched as her brother continued to blow up the remaining buildings.

"Come one Seventeen, the fun part's over. All the people are dead."

"What's wrong with blowing up a few buildings Eighteen?"

"It's boring."

"So is standing around while you try on clothes for two hours."

Eighteen grinned. "That's not boring for me."

Seventeen shrugged. "Well this isn't boring for me."

"Fine, then I'm leaving."

"Whatever."

Lifting into the sky, Eighteen pretended to fly towards home, however, she quickly changed course when she was far enough away. It was beginning to get dark and Gohan would be waking soon.

After a few minutes of fast flying she arrived at the hideout. A devious grin played on her lips when she thought of what she was going to do. Making her way to her room, she got her disguise ready, dying her hair and wearing her Contacs.

Gohan's eyes opened as he felt a pressure on his body. Looking up, he smiled tenderly at her. "Hey Jackie."

Smiling down at him, she leaned down and kissed his lips. Pulling back, and standing up, she then let out an evil laugh.

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

Eighteen continued to laugh, this time eliciting a slightly disturbed expression on Gohan's face. Calming down somewhat, she got up from the bed and got a bottle of water and a bucket. Leaning over the bucket, she poured the bottled water into her hair.

_Hair dye!_ Gohan's eyes widened and his mouth gaped in shock as he watched the purple drain out of her hair to be replaced by a blonde coloration. As her hair reverted to its natural color, he was beginning to pick up a familiarity with it.

_No! Not her…please don't be her! Wait…her eyes. It can't be her; the eyes are the wrong color._ To Gohan's horror, the next thing she did was removing the Contacs in her eyes. This revealed the crystal blue eyes he had grown to dread.

* * *

Trunks had noticed his mother's peculiar behavior. While it would be normal for most women to talk on the phone instead of shutting themselves up in the basement, the opposite was true for Bulma.

_That's strange_, thought Trunks. _Why would mom suddenly want to talk on the phone? It must be something important. _

Getting up from the table, he snuck into the room she was in to eavesdrop on her conversation.

"That's right Chichi," said Bulma. "Master Roshi told me a while ago."

Trunks' ears perked up. _Could this be about Gohan? _

"I know it's hard to believe, but I trust Roshi. He says that he's alive. His power must've dropped to zero for a while, but he's recovered somewhat."

Trunks' eyes widened. _Now I know it's about Gohan! But why didn't mom tell me?_

Bulma nodded before speaking again. "He wasn't very specific, but he told me not to tell Trunks…because he might overreact. We can't have Trunks going out there and running into the androids."

Trunks silently left the room and went outside. Closing his eyes, he felt for Gohan's power level.

* * *

As she turned back to look at him with those malicious blue eyes, Gohan felt like he had been slapped in the face.

She chuckled. "What's wrong Gohan? Don't you want to be my boyfriend?" She said those words in a mocking voice.

Gohan sat up in the bed, memories of their time together flashing into his mind. _It was all just a trick…I fell right for it…I…it all makes sense…no it made sense before. I was just too stubborn to listen. _

Eighteen smirked at his discomfort. She felt satisfied with her work, yet there was a part of her deep down, that felt sorry for him, the part which had reared its head earlier that day.

Gohan started shivering as images of their past encounters returned. He hated her now more than ever; she had taken it all away from him, even his first kiss.

Getting bored with his silence, Eighteen decided to poke and prod him. "What's up? Cat got your tongue?"

Her voice snapped him back to reality. His fists clenched tightly. He felt like he'd been rolling around in manure, and his heart had been thrown in a blender. Looking up at her, he mustered up the best glare he could, however, his broken heart held it back.

The saddest fact was that he could've loved her. She had found her way into his naïve heart so easily, and broken it without so much as a second thought.

"You know, this is a new low, even for you," said Gohan in the angriest voice he could.

Eighteen laughed. "You look pathetic. I know you just want to break down and cry."

Gohan fell silent.

"Awe…did I bweak the wittle baby's hawt?"

Clenching his eyes shut, Gohan held back the tears. Then something new welled up. Rage. She had betrayed him. She had violated his heart. She had to be punished.

Eighteen was caught completely off guard by the fist. It sent her into the wall, but not through it. Her eyes widened as she saw Gohan standing before her; he looked completely different.

His hair had turned gold, and there was lightning in his aura, but that wasn't most striking feature about him. It was his eyes, they where white and soul-less. His crackling aura reflected his rage.

With a yell, Gohan tried to punch her, but his fist stopped short of her. Opening her eyes, she saw the shocked expression on his face. Moments later, as his body reverted to its normal state, blood began pouring on of cracks in the skin. He coughed up some blood. Falling back, his bloody body collapsed in a heap.

Eighteen's eyes were wide. _What was that? First he was stronger than ever, then his body just destroyed itself…should I kill him._

Leaning over his body, she noted the condition he was in. He would not be pulling any stunts like that anytime soon. Raising her hand and forming a ki ball, she cautiously approached him.

He was still conscious, but out of it. "Wh-what…happened?" He then passed out.

_So he didn't do it on purpose…he doesn't have control of that power. Should I kill him now?_ Shaking her head, she went over to the table and got out the other half of the senzu bean she had previously given him. _It probably came from the shock of his heart being broken. Anything that happens next wouldn't be nearly enough to trigger than again, and even so, I doubt his body can handle that much power. _

Pushing the senzu bean down his throat, she waited until his wounds had healed. She knew he wouldn't wake up soon, so she got to work fixing the place up and putting him back in bed.

* * *

Trunks' eyes opened when he sensed the spike in Gohan's power. _That must be him. Maybe he was just seeing how far he could power up, I'd recognize that power anywhere._

Leaping into the air, he took off towards the general area where the power had come from. As he flew, his mind was fixated on something. _That power was definitely Gohan's but something about it was different. Gohan's power level was never that strong. This was…it was more than twice his normal power, even as a super saiyan. _

As he flew, he noted all the ruined cities below him. His fists clenched in anger as thoughts of the androids flooded his mind. He was so caught up in those thoughts that he didn't notice the ki blast before it was took late.

Screaming in surprise, Trunks dropped to the ground. When he got up, he saw Seventeen looming over him.

"Well what do we have here?" A devious grin formed on his lips. "Never seen you before squirt, but I've got a feeling your stronger than the average human."

Jumping to his feet, Trunks ascended to his super saiyan state. "I don't have time for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Seventeen let out a light chuckle. "Too bad kid, you've got no choice. I've seen that hair trick before, and if you're anything light the others fighters who used it, then you would at least be mildly amusing."

* * *

A ship entered the atmosphere. It was a large, white, egg-shaped ship with a large m stamped on it.

Inside the control room, a green imp schemed. Rubbing his hands in anticipation he turned to his much taller companion. "This is it Dabura."

The being, Dabura, smiled down at his master; the m on his forehead indicating his servitude. "Yes master, soon we will secure the pod and Majin Buu will be revived."

"Yes…I can hardly wait. Soon I will bring the universe to its knees."

Neither saiyans, nor androids noticed the ship's rough descent as it crashing into the desert, burying itself up to the very tip. A few moments later, that tip began emerging.

* * *

With a battle cry, Trunks charged at Seventeen and feinted a punch while trying to kick him. However, the androids predicted this and decided to stop him with a ki blast to the belly. Trunks' weak defense meant that he was hit with the full force of the blast.

Falling in his back, Trunks quickly rolled over to avoid being stamped on. Regaining his footing, he then engaged the android in close combat. To his chagrin, Seventeen was dodging all of his blows.

"Come on kid, is that really all you've got," said Seventeen a he sent Trunks staggering back with a punch to the jaw. Shrugging off his last comment, he gave Trunks a pitiful look. "Oh, I guess I'm being too hard on you. You're just a kid. Besides, it's pretty amusing watching you try so hard to hit me."

"This time I'll hit you for sure," said Trunks as he charged ki in his hands. "Take this metal head!" He launched a barrage of ki blasts at Seventeen.

Seventeen simply crossed his arms and grinned as the blasts converged, blocking him from Trunks' view.

Panting, Trunks smiled. "Yes! I did it!"

There was laughter.

The smoke cleared to reveal Seventeen in an energy shield. "That was fun. I only let you think you hit me because I wanted to see you get all happy."

"No!" Trunks was now scared. _This guy's on an entirely different plane. Is this what Gohan's been up against for all these years?_

"Tell you what kid. Since I'm feeling generous today, I'll give you one shot. I swear I won't dodge or throw up a shield."

"You'll regret giving me this opening android," replied Trunks as he raise his hands into the air. He began gathering energy up there, forming a golden ball of ki.

Chuckling, Seventeen watched as the blast grew bigger and bigger. I_ said I wouldn't use a shield or dodge, but I never said anything about swatting it away. _

"Finish Buster!" Hurling the ball of ki, Trunks watched at it made contact. "Yes! Direct hit!"

Smiling, Seventeen raised his right arm and knocked the blast in another direction. "Good job kid, that blast actually came close to hurting, my arm's feeling tingly, but I never said I wouldn't redirect it."

Clenching his fists in frustration, Trunks waited for the Seventeen's next move.

"You know what? I think I'll let you live. You're obviously no threat to me. Go on and cry to your mommy."

Trunks ' eyes widened. _Is this some kind of joke?_

Seventeen waved him off. "I said get out of here, or would you rather die right now?"

Rising into the air, Trunks cautiously observe the android before heading back to Capsule Corp. _That jerk! He was only toying with me. I'll make him regret letting me go. Sorry Gohan, but I don't think I'll be going out to look for you. I don't want to run into that android again and I know you'll eventually come back to us.

* * *

_

Stepping out of the ship, Babidi surveyed his surroundings. "Ah…so this is Earth. Soon the entire planet will resemble this desert."

An approaching light caught his attention.

"What on earth is tha-" He was cut off as the Finish Buster struck him at high speed.

"Huh? Master Babidi!" Rising out of the ship, Dabura ran over to Babidi's side. However, when his master passed away, the m on his forehead disappeared.

Looking at his hands, Dabura grinned deviously. _Finally, at long last I'm free from that toad's control._ Turning back to the ship, he fired a ki blast that destroyed it. He then disappeared, returning to the demon world.

* * *

Staring down at Gohan's body, Eighteen smiled at her handiwork. She had taken the extra precaution to bind his hands and feet with clothes, so that he wouldn't walk away. She knew he wouldn't have the strength to break them when he woke up.

"Well Gohan, now the real game can begin. I just hope Seventeen doesn't decide to start using his brain anytime soon."

Gohan groaned in his sleep.

Chuckling to herself, she stroked his cheek. _Rest up Gohan. You'll need your strength for what I have in store for you.

* * *

_

I know there wasn't much going on between Gohan and Eighteen in this chapter, and the whole Babidi thing was random. Anyway, I was contemplating killing Trunks off in this chapter, though I decided not to. Though, out of curiosity, i would like to know what you would've though if I had killed Trunks off in this chapter.


	7. Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Gohan sat up in bed to see Eighteen looking down at him. She was staring intently at him, wondering what his reaction would be. He noticed the chains on his ankles, holding him to the bed. They were padded, and bearable, but still did their job.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to put me down android?"

A cruel smirk adorned her face. "Oh, I will put you down…after I've had my fun with you."

"What fun might that be?"

Chuckling, she lifted her shirt suggestively. "Oh…you know…"

Gohan made a sick face. "Oh…I suppose you were originally trying to get me to cooperate, but when I moved too slowly, you decided to go through with an all out rape."

"You hit the nail right on the head."

"Then what's stopping you? I'm far too weak to resist you and you've got all the control. Why aren't you just pinning me to the bed right now?"

"That's simple. After that last stunt you pulled, your bodies weakened considerably. You won't be any fun in this state. I'll just wait until you've grown a little stronger."

Gohan narrowed his eyes. "What exactly happened to me?"

"Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about?"

"I know you didn't do this to me," said Gohan as he looked down at the small scratches on his belly. "It felt like my power increased dramatically before suddenly dropping."

"Why would I tell you about that?"

"Are you afraid?" Gohan smirked as he realized he had caught her off guard. "You're afraid aren't you? Afraid of what that power was."

"Shut up!" Eighteen leaned down and glared at him menacingly. "I'm the one with all the power here! I could snap you like a twig!"

"Then why don't you," replied Gohan in a cool voice. "Surely having sex with me isn't that important to you."

"Shut up crybaby! That's right, I saw you break down and cry so don't act all cool now!"

Gohan started laughing. It was then that Eighteen realized her mistake. "Me a crybaby? What does that make you? Don't forget, you broke down in front of me as well. Looks like you're not so tough as well."

Eighteen's face turned red as her frustration rose. "Shut up!"

"Oh, did I say something that upset you, I am so sorry," replied Gohan in a cruel and sarcastic voice.

"What happened to you? You're a complete asshole!"

"Sorry, but my nice side is reserved for those I care about." He locked eyes with her and they glared at each other for a minute.

After some thought, Eighteen got an idea. "I think you're in denial."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Denial? Denial of what?"

"You thought my crying was real. It must be because, deep down, you still wish I was Jackie, or that Jackie represented my true personality."

Looking down at the covers, Gohan's expression became grin. "Maybe I do. I'll admit that you did manage to get under my skin."

She looked down at his with a satisfied smile. "Good, looks like I win."

"Do you?"

"Huh?" Raising an eyebrow, Eighteen smirked. "Don't try and regain control. I've already won this little verbal sparring match."

"As if. Its true that I cried in front of you, and that those tears were real, but any sadness I exhibited towards who I thought you were, translates into anger against you."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"You think you've won because you saw my weak underbelly, but the fact is, that weak underbelly is what strengthens me against you." Looking into her eyes, he gave a devious grin. "Don't think I don't know."

"What are you taking about?"

"You're a cyborg, you can't be a true android."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"When I thought you were Jackie…when I got intimate with you…it was your smell that stood out the most."

"My smell?"

"Yes, as mammals we do a lot of communication by smell, and a human smell isn't something Dr. Gero would waste time adding to an android."

"So? What does it matter now? I'm a cyborg now."

"But you where human, and that's something you can never change, it'll always be a part of you." Searching her eyes, he found what he was looking for. It was a hint of emotion that confirmed his theory.

"I don't believe you. What he did to me was permanent. I can never go back…back to being one of them."

Realizing that he had nothing left to loose, Gohan decided to push it a little further. "Those tears were real…weren't they? I mean no one could fake that."

She half smiled, unable to muster a full one. "Back to that again? You have no idea what I'm capable of. Just because I'm no longer human doesn't mean that I don't know human emotions. I know how they work…that's all." She had fallen into his trap.

"You really haven't forgotten then. You remember your humanity."

"Enough!" She slapped him, holding herself back so that his head wouldn't roll off his shoulders.

His head snapped to the side, and there was a stinging feeling on his cheek. Looking back, he saw that her back was turned to him.

"I'm leaving. Just…go to sleep or something. Don't even try to escape, or else I'll find and kill your friends and family." She left the room in silence; he then heard the door slam shut, indicating that she had left.

Gohan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but her voice seemed weakened somehow by his last statement. Reaching up, he felt his cheek. _The was genuine anger…there is more to her than the killing machine.

* * *

_

"Something's eating you," said Seventeen as he observed his sister.

To anyone else, it would seem like she was just watching TV with a sour expression, but Seventeen could tell that there was something more to this.

"This is the first time I've seen you like this. The first time since…"

"Would you just drop it? I'm fine!"

Raising his arms defensively, Seventeen grinned. "Relax Eighteen, I was just curious."

Smiling, she turned to her brother with a smirk. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"And there's the Eighteen I know. I guess I was worried about nothing after all."

"Yeah, now stop acting concerned, it makes me sick."

Chuckling, Seventeen headed for the front door. "I think I'll go out for some target practice." Pulling the gun out of its holster, he twirled it around before putting it back in.

"Try not to hit up any new cities. We always do that together."

"Sure, I'll search through the abandoned cities for survivors."

The sound of the shutting indicated that he had left. Being alone, Eighteen decided to think about her conversation with Gohan.

_What was he getting at with all that?_ It had started as she predicted, a witty exchange between enemies, but it had turned into something else, something Eighteen wasn't as used to.

He had actually coaxed some emotion out of her. That little girl who had been kidnapped by Gero was now coming back to the surface.

Eighteen clenched her fists in frustration. _ Should I kill him now? I could just look for another pretty boy and rape him…but no ones ever caught my eye like Gohan has._ She placed her hand on her forehead. _Oh…he's turning out to be such a headache…but…

* * *

_

"TRUNKS!" Rushing over to her son, Bulma examined all of his injuries. "Did you go out and fight the androids?"

An ashamed expression crossed his face. His mother had been so worried about him. "No, I went looking for Gohan."

Her eyes widened. "Did you sense his energy?"

"I did…it spiked a short while ago…but I also eavesdropped on one of your phone calls to Chichi."

She tilted her head to the in a questioning way. "But I never once mentioned Gohan in that conversation. How did you know?"

"I put two and two together."

Bulma couldn't help but smile. _That's my boy. _

"Anyway, I ran into android Seventeen while heading to find Gohan. The android decided to let me live because he found me "entertaining." After that, I decided to come home instead of searching."

"That was smart of you Trunks. Who knows how things would've went if you had run into android Eighteen after that."

"Mom, I think I'll go to bed now. My muscles are aching from getting beaten up." He made his way upstairs to get to bed.

* * *

As he lay there in bed, Gohan reflected on his encounter with the female cyborg. He had apparently struck a nerve with her.

_I know she's a killer, but there's more to her than that. I want to know more…maybe if I change her like I did with Piccolo, we'll be able to end this nightmare without any killing. It's what my father would do. _

Flashback:

"_I'm leaving. Just…go to sleep or something. Don't even try to escape, or else I'll find and kill your friends and family."_

End

_There was definitely something in her voice._ Cupping his chin, he began to think. _Now I have something to work for. Maybe I can unravel the mysteries behind her and her brother._

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep. He was roughly shaken awake some time later. Looking up, he saw her setting a tray off food down on the bedside table.

"Breakfast in bed? How kind of you."

"Don't think you'll get out early for good behavior," replied Eighteen.

He searched her face for any signs of their last conversation.

An annoyed expression crossed her face. "Go on, eat up."

He started eating, but was sure to observe her carefully. She looked solid again, like the android he had come to hate. He would have to start from scratch.

"So how are you?"

She arched an eyebrow. "What's up? I thought your nice side was only for the people you cared about."

"It's true, but…you could say I'm curious."

A false smile appeared on her face. "Curious? About my nonexistent human feelings?"

He smiled at her. "I don't believe that."

"Why are you suddenly interested in me? I killed you're friends. I took away your happiness. I'm part of the reason that you cried."

"It's true, but that's why I'm curious. I want to know how you were before. Before you became a cyborg."

"That's none of your business."

"I know…but I was just thinking…if what you said earlier was true…If…when you were pretending to be Jackie, if what you said about Gero hurting you was true then maybe-"

"Enough!" Covering her ears, she began pacing. "I've heard enough. I'm not going to waste anytime telling you my life story."

"Fine, I won't force you."

She turned to him with an intense glare. "Would you just stop?"

Jumping at her outburst, he gave a confused look.

"I know what you're doing! You're trying to get to me with that nice guy act! You just want revenge for what I did to you, but it's not working! When you recover, I will rape you, then I will kill you!"

"Then why not kill me now? I'm sure there are a bunch of other men out there who aren't as much of a headache as I am." He smiled at her. "Go on, put me out of my misery."

She shook her head and leaned forward. "You've turned me on more than any of those humans ever could. I will have you, and when I do it'll be rough, hard and exhausting. Then I'll put you out of your misery." Getting back up, she gave him a cold smile. "Go on, finish your breakfast."

Gohan did as he was told, but he sensed it again. He sensed her humanity returning. However, her paranoia at letting someone in would be a problem.

* * *

I hoped you like this chapter. I also hope I'm handling Eighteen's emotions nicely. I'm trying to portray her as being in denial of her own emotions. Also, I'm not trying to portray Gohan as Krillin(trying to get her to fall in love with him). All he wants to do is stop the killing in the least violent way possible and his drawing on his experience with Piccolo.


	8. Suspicion and Confusion

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan could feel her hot breath tickling his face. He knew that she was hovering over him, waiting for him to recover to the right margin strength before she had her way with him. He was currently above the power of an average human, but wasn't as strong as she wanted him to be; she wanted a tougher challenge. When that happened, he would die, and he knew he had to get through to her as soon as possible.

"Wake up," said Eighteen. "It's time to eat."

He groggily opened his eyes. Even though he had been awake for ten minutes, his fatigue still kept him tired for longer periods. of time.

She placed a hand under his back and forced him into a sitting position. There was a spoon in her other hand, filled with hot soup. "Eat it," she said in a commanding tone.

Gohan cautiously sipped the soup, keeping his eyes on her the entire time.

Eighteen chuckled when she saw how cautious he was. "Looks like you've finally learned your place."

Gohan shook his head. "No…Just observing you to see any signs of yesterday."

Frowning at him, Eighteen put the spoon back in the bowl before turning back to glare at him. "When will you learn to give up? My human side's long dead." Her tone showed her irritation.

"I won't ever give up until I've died…or until you let me go. There's nothing else I can do, and don't think I'll act like a submissive concubine. I'll be fighting back in the only way I can."

She smirked at his defiance. "I'd say your still bitter about me tricking you." Speaking in a mocking tone, she said, "It must be so degrading for a big, strong man like you to be overcome by a little lady like me."

"You say your human half's dead, yet you still refer to yourself as a lady." Gohan smirked back at her. "I don't think you'll ever be completely rid of your human self. Besides that, why do you hang around with Seventeen? Is it because of the human need to seek out company?"

She clenched her fists, and glared into his eyes. _He's getting far too comfortable. When I'm done with him, he'll have the most painful death ever!_

"Am I getting under your skin?"

With a growl, Eighteen jammed her face in front of Gohan's; they were so close that their noses were touching. However, her anger and frustration dissolved back into calmness. She leaned forward and shared brief kiss with him.

"I'm going to enjoy raping you."

"We'll see if you get that far."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I can change you-"

"You can't."

"We'll see about that. I have gotten under your skin."

Narrowing her eyes and growling in frustration, she locked lips with him again. This time, the kiss lasted around thirty seconds before she pulled away. "I'll admit that you've gotten to me, but don't get cocky…on second thought, be cocky. I'd rather crush you when you're resisting."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you wanted me to submit."

"I also said that I liked it rough during our battle." She pulled away. "Dominating someone is fun, but it's twice as fun when that person actually thinks they have a chance."

"You don't seem so mechanical to me. You've made it very clear that you consider yourself a woman instead of a machine." Gohan chuckled lightly, visibly annoying her. "Whether you like it or not, your humanity is always at the surface. You get angry, you get frustrated, an you need at least some company."

Eighteen clenched her fists, he was really getting under her skin, and though she hated to admit it, she was enjoying it.

Gohan smiled when he saw her frustration. "You look quite human to me. Now that I've spent some time with you outside of battle, you don't seem mechanical at all. The only indication that you're not a human is the fact that I can't feel your power level."

"I hate you!" Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, Eighteen pulled him into another kiss, straddling him in the process.

Gohan didn't try to resist her, not that he could though. Instead he invited her in._ I know you're a person. You're going to show me your humanity, one way or another. _

Eighteen broke the kiss and panted, rolling off Gohan and sitting next to him. "I don't get it!"

"What?"

"You! You've completely changed gears now! You're trying to convert me to your side, and I find it annoying! Yet…"

"Yet?"

"Yet I can't get enough of it!"

Gohan turned to her with a confused look.

"I hate what you're doing, and yet I get such a rush when you get under my skin."

"I'm flattered."

"Don't be!" She smiled at him. "I'm going to make you pay for this."

"Will you?" He then broke out into laughter.

Eighteen face contorted as she looked at him like he was crazy. "What?"

"For a killer android that plans on making my life a living hell, you sure are getting chummy."

She looked away and blushed. "I'm not chummy. This is just my bedside manner. I broke your heart once, and I'll do it again."

"Will you? You're not acting anymore." His face became serious. "I thought you were someone else. I was just being foolish, but I'll have to thank you. You've wizened me up. My heart won't break like it did last time."

"Not emotionally, but what about physically. If I can't break you mentally, then I'll just break you physically."

"You're stuck on that, aren't you? I'll admit that I am under your control, which is why it's so much more fun when I get to you like that."

Eighteen rolled back onto Gohan, pining him to the bed. "You're a very bad boy Gohan. I'll be sure to punish you for it." She took in his scent. _ He has such an overpowering odor. I like it. It's so…spicy._

"By all means punish me," Gohan whispered into her ear. "I think I'll actually enjoy it."

Eighteen gasped when he suddenly started kissing her neck. Letting out a soft moan, she pulled away and glared at him. "You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

"Maybe I am. I did say that I enjoyed getting you wound up."

"I'm the one with the power here, not you! Don't cross the line!"

"And if I do?"

With an angry growl, Eighteen wrapped her arms around him and kissed him furiously. However, she was shocked when she ended up on her back with Gohan on top.

"You're really pushing it," said Eighteen threateningly.

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Really? So far you haven't gone through with any of your threats. You warned not to cross a certain line, and now I have. So what are you going to do about it?"

"Fine!" She rolled him back over. "I'll beat you at your own game!"

"We'll see."

"Would you stop saying we'll see? It's driving me crazy!"

"Then I've already won." Gohan placed his hands on her waist and initiated another kiss.

Eighteen didn't resist, yet she couldn't help but feel bitter. _ Why? How did he gain control? Guess he's more arrogant than I thought! I have to stop this, but it feels so good!_

Breaking the kiss, Gohan leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Don't be ashamed. Don't fight your humanity. Embrace it, and it will give you immeasurable strength."

"What do you mean?"

"The desire to protect those we care about, the feelings of anger and betrayal. They can bring out power we never knew we had."

She sat there, in a daze for a few seconds. Then she lashed out at him. The force of the slap made his head turn to the side. "Stop it! Just stop it!"

Turning back to her and rubbing his cheek, Gohan smiled at her. "That's what I'm talking about."

"What?" Eighteen's eyebrow was now twitching. _I swear, if he says human one more time!_

"You're human side is showing. That slap was driven by your human emotions."

Eighteen let out a frustrated scream. "You just love pissing me off, don't you?"

"You're letting yourself get pissed off. It's not like I have any control over what you get pissed off about. I'm just saying what I'm saying. "

Eighteen's face was now bright red. She then realized that Gohan's hands were still on her hips. She couldn't help but question his motives. "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to see your true self. You've been killing people all this time, but you don't have to. I want to see the human, the girl who existed before Android 18."

"I'm not sure if she even exists anymore. Dr. Gero's influence was too deep. I'll never be able to get rid of the scars he gave me."

"Maybe I can help."

"I don't need your help and I don't want it either." She stood back up and looked at the soup bowl, it had gone cold. "I'll heat this up."

As he watched her leave the room, Gohan slumped back on the bed. _I wonder what Dr. Gero actually did to her. I now know that there's woman in there somewhere. She seems hurt...like that mad scientist scarred her for life. If I can find out what her motivations are, then I might be able to bring her back to the way she once was. I hope you're proud of me, Piccolo, but helping her sounds much better than blind revenge.

* * *

_

Seventeen was feeling a little disturbed when he got home. He hadn't been able to locate his sister. She had just disappeared in the morning, and now it was around noon.

_Where could she be_, thought Seventeen. _Doesn't she realize that I gave up on destroying a town just to find her?_

In truth, he had long suspected that his sister had been keeping something from him. Ever since their last encounter with Gohan, when she supposedly killed him, she had been disappearing off somewhere. Sometimes she would leave for hours at a time, missing some of their scheduled killings and thereby disrupting his rhythm.

Slumping down on the couch in their home, he decided to get his mind off her with some television.

A few minutes later, he heard the door opening and saw his sister walking inside. Getting up from the couch, he walked into the foyer and leaned against one of the walls.

"Where have you been Eighteen?" He had a serious expression.

She stared at him blankly. "I've been around."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged off the comment. "It means that I've been wandering the planet aimlessly."

"Do you realize that I spent my entire morning searching for you?"

"That's your problem Seventeen."

"Is it Eighteen? If you are telling the truth, then it means that neither one of us killed anyone today."

Eighteen began to get annoyed. "First of all, have I ever lied to you? Secondly, I'm sure it won't be the end of the world if we go a while without killing anyone. Besides, we need to give the population time to recover. Our supply of humans is running low."

Seventeen let out a disgruntled sigh. "I suppose you have a point, but you've been acting strange. Ever since you killed Gohan you've been disappearing, sometimes for hours. What's that all about?"

She averted her gaze from him for a few seconds. _He's too hard to fool. There's no point in lying to him._

Seventeen raised an eyebrow. He could easily pick up on the subtle clues his sister was inadvertently giving off. _She's definitely got a secret that she doesn't want me knowing about. I wonder what it is. _

Eighteen was about to go upstairs, but felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw the determination in his eyes. He wouldn't let the topic go any time soon.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "What do you want me to say, that I have some big secret that I'm keeping from you? I've just been spending some time alone. I just feel like enjoying the solitude, that's all."

A smirk crossed his face. "Why didn't you just say so? If that's all it is, then it's no problem."

"So can I go to my room now?"

"Sure." Seventeen returned to his place on the couch and watched his sister go upstairs. When she was out of sight, his expression became serious. _I know that alone time stuff was just a load of crap. Something's definitely up and I'm going to find out what.

* * *

_

Trunks paced in front of the Son household. He knew that Gohan was alive, but wasn't sure what was going on. He had come with his mother to visit Chichi; his mother wanted to comfort her.

"What's wrong Trunks?" asked the Ox King.

"He hasn't been out this long before. He's usually back home within a day or two after fighting the androids."

"Gohan must have a reason. There must be something preventing him from coming home."

"Maybe the androids are holding him hostage." Trunks' expression became fearful as he pondered that scenario.

The Ox King shook his head. "The androids aren't like that. They'd kill someone on the spot instead of wasting time with hostages."

"I want to find out what's going on."

"Maybe you could visit Korin or the lookout. Gohan's always gone there when he needed to figure things out. Maybe he'd have an explanation."

"That's a great idea," replied Trunks enthusiastically. He tried to fly off to find the tower, but was held down by the Ox King. "Let me go. I want to find out what happened to Gohan."

"You're not leaving without your mother's permission."

Trunks grumbled as he returned to the ground. He then went inside to ask his mother. _I doubt she'd say yes.

* * *

_

I wasn't going to update this until later, but since 'Odd Affection' is one chapter away from finishing I thought I might as well update. Hopefully, the really fun part of the story will start in the next chapter.


	9. Passion

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen had been gone for a few hours now, and Gohan knew she wouldn't be back for a while, so he decided to stack the odds in his favor. While he did enjoy teasing the android he still knew she was dangerous and did not want to throw is life away.

Eighteen now had him tied to the bed by one leg. She would usually untie him when she returned. The lock on the chain was simple, and Gohan knew he could pick it if he could just find the right tools.

Scouring the bedside drawers, he was able to find one of Eighteen's hairpins. _Perfect!_ He twisted the hairpin into the desired shape and successfully picked the lock. Once free, he began looking for senzu beans.

He had seen Eighteen put the senzu beans in a nearby chest of drawers. After opening and closing a few drawers, he spied the familiar brown sac. When he took it out and looked inside, there were only three beans left.

_Only three beans left…sorry Korin._ He decided to take one and leave the other two. He placed the bag back where it was and returned to his place on the bed, hiding any evidence of him having escaped.

* * *

Eighteen set out early that morning. She was worried about Gohan, as well as her brother's growing suspicion.

Her thoughts were racing about what she should do. _Gohan's starting to regain his strength, and he's being a total pain in the ass…but I don't want him to…no! I can't think like that. He doesn't mean anything to me._

"Leaving already sis?" The lights turned on to reveal Seventeen sitting on the couch. "I skipped out on sleep so I wouldn't miss you."

Eighteen placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I don't need you watching me all the time."

"I never said I was watching you all the time. You're being defensive. So, where are you off to at this early hour?"

"I've told you so many times, I'm going off to be alone." Eighteen's voice showed irritation

"Alone where?"

"Why would I tell you?"

Seventeen shrugged. "In case I need to come find you. Besides, Gohan's little friend is still out there. I just thought you might want to fight him if he comes along."

"I could care less about some brat."

"Why are you so obsessed on alone time anyway? This is something completely new."

She let out an agitated growl before turning away from him. "It's my business. I'm leaving now."

Seventeen watched quietly with a sour expression as she left the house. _Oh no you don't! I'm going to find out what you're hiding._

As Eighteen flew through the air, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. She looked back, but couldn't see anyone there, but when she continued, she had that same feeling. Feeling the weight of someone's gaze, she decided to change course.

Seventeen raised an eyebrow from his hiding spot on the ground. _She doesn't want anyone to follow her. What kind of place is she going to? Has she been keeping some humans from me, or is there a dirty little secret she feels ashamed of?_

Landing in the middle of a forest, Eighteen decided to continue on foot. _If someone is following me, I'm more likely to find out in here._

The sound of a snapping twig caught her attention, but when she turned around, Seventeen had hidden behind a tree for cover. She walked another few hundred feet before picking up a similar sound again.

"Come out!" Turning around, Eighteen fired a ki blast at the trees, flushing her brother out of hiding.

"You're crazy sis," said Seventeen as he landed in front of her.

"You were following me!"

"Only because you couldn't tell me what your big secret was."

"Stop it!" Walking up to her brother, she slapped him across the face. "Leave me alone!"

Seventeen turned back to her with a grim expression. "You've changed Eighteen." He then took off to leave her alone.

* * *

Trunks opened the window to his room to breathe in the fresh air. Turning back to check for any signs of his mother, he determined that the coast was clear before taking off.

He wanted to go find Gohan in spite of what his mother had told him.

Flashback:

"_Why can't I go mom? I have to know what's happening with Gohan!"_

_Bulma shook her head. "It's far too dangerous. Even Gohan only visited Korin Tower once every few years. It's also dangerous for Korin since his tower is exposed. If the androids follow you, you'll be putting him in danger as well."_

"_But I'll be careful mom. I'll make sure non of that happens."_

"_My answer is final. You're not going out there. We can thoroughly question Gohan when he gets back to us."_

End

As he flew, Trunks kept a vigilant eye out for androids. He didn't want his mother's fears to come true. Glancing left to right, as well above and below him, Trunks saw that there weren't any androids in the area.

He was soon nearing the tower, remembering the site from when he was younger. He noted that this area seemed hardly touched by the duo since there were no big cities, towns or any significant human populations in the area.

When he finally reached the tower, Trunks took one last look in every direction before making his vertical ascent. He reached the top within a few minutes, and was greeted by Korin; the cat always seemed to have a smile on his face.

"It's been a long time since Gohan brought you here Trunks. How are you?"

"I'm okay Korin, and it's great to see that your still safe, but I'm very worried about Gohan."

"Ah yes, that's why you snuck out without your mother's permission." He chuckled when he saw Trunks wince. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

"So do you know where he is?"

"Sort of. I can't pinpoint his exact location, but he feels fine. Though I think it's best that you don't go looking for him. He's fine, so he should return on his own. He's probably just having a little trouble recovering. The senzu beans don't work as well as they used to, so it would take time."

Trunks looked somewhat disappointed. "Thanks Korin, but can you tell me where he is anyway?"

"I won't since I know you'll risk your life by going out there."

Trunks grumbled. "Fine." He then took off to return home before his mother woke up and found out he was missing.

* * *

Gohan smirked when he heard Eighteen entering. He had a special surprise planned for her.

"Wake up Go…Oh you're already awake." Eighteen freed his shackled leg as part of the routine, then went to get Gohan some breakfast, however, what he did next shocked her.

Leaping to his feet Gohan transformed into his super saiyan state. His smirk grew wider when he saw the shocked look on her face as he started to advance on her.

_Oh crap! He must've been playing around with me. I…I don't think I can beat him at full power…he's go that…that weird transformation._ Instinctively remembering his powerful transformation, Eighteen back away into a wall. _Why did I have to let it get this far? I should've raped him from the start instead of even starting that whole Jackie thing. Now he's gonna kill me!_

Now that he had recovered, Gohan felt powerful. However, a bewildered expression crossed his face when he saw the state Eighteen was in. She was scared of him; scared of the power he had displayed earlier.

Gohan then felt somewhat guilty. _This isn't good; I didn't want to scare her. I wanted her to react like she normally would. I have to do something now._

Eighteen shut her eyes as Gohan reached out to her, but opened her eyes in shock as he pulled her into a hug. As she stood there in his arms, she looked up into his teal-blue eyes and watched them fade back to their original black color.

"I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to surprise you...and protect myself in case something went wrong."

She smiled and promptly kicked him in the shin, eliciting a grunt. "That's for scaring me."

Gohan then leaned in closer, touching his forehead to hers, and staring intently at her beautiful eyes. _I know she's in there somewhere. She's been hurt and afraid. I want to…help her._

Eighteen took the cue from him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes as they brought their lips together. However, feeling uncomfortable with their current position, she walked him back and pushed him onto the bed without breaking the kiss. Her skin tingled as she felt his hands move to her waist.

Gohan flipped her over and moved them further up the bed until her head was on the pillow. He couldn't ignore the definite bulge in his pants. As he continued to kiss her passionately, he began rubbing his crotch against hers.

Eighteen knew what he was doing. What she didn't know were his motives. _Could this be an attempt to reach my humans side or does he just wanted to dominate me after I took him hostage._

All her doubts were quickly pushed aside by his tongue as he forced its way into her mouth and wrapping around her own tongue. The android tried to fight it off, but it lost out to the woman. _I don't want it…I don't want it…I want it._

He felt her legs wrap around him, keeping him in place and making sure he finished the job. Arching his back, he stared down at her. She was breathing heavily, and some hairs were in her face. He could see the wetness cause by the sweat on her forehead. He wanted her…he had to have her.

She looked up at him as he loomed over her. He was panting and sweating, which made him look hotter. There was a feral look in his eyes; it made her hairs stand up in anticipation.

"What are you waiting for?" She batted her eyelashes, and licked her lips in anticipation.

Abandoning all reason, Gohan dove back into it and locked lips with her again.

* * *

Mr. Popo looked down on the Earth with dismay.

"I miss him too," said Korin as he walked up behind him.

"Hello Korin," said Mr. Popo, turning around to his old friend with a smile. "It's good to see someone from the old days."

"Likewise Mr. Popo. I take it you know what's been happening with Gohan."

"Indeed. His powers are failing him. They were okay in the early years of the androids' reign, but now they've stopped increasing."

"I thought Gohan simply couldn't push himself as hard as he used to, but there's something else at work. The fact is if he didn't challenge the androids so much, he wouldn't have had this problem at all. It's related to the dilemma I'm facing with the senzu beans."

"The beans are loosing their ability to heal right?"

"That's correct Mr. Popo. They're powers are dependent on the health of the planet, and the planet is suffering under the androids. With weaker and weaker beans to rely on, Gohan hasn't been able to heal himself as thoroughly as he thinks. He might feel fine, and the beans might be able to bring him back up to his old maximum, but his saiyan powers are supposed to increase dramatically with each healing."

"So his injuries are never completely healed?"

"The physical ones are, but the flow of ki throughout his body is disrupted and his body's ability to channel handle the ki is diminished as a result. Nowadays, most of the power Gohan gains is siphoned away and rendered unusable. His body just doesn't have what it takes to unleash that power. If he did, he could easily destroy the androids thousands of times over."

"Is there any way for us to help him out?"

"A full power senzu bean would do the trick, but we won't have one of those any time soon. Other than that, I don't know of anything short of the dragonballs that could fix him up."

"I'll have to meditate on this. Maybe I can contact someone in other world for information or advice."

"That would be a good idea Mr. Popo. I'll need to take extra care of the senzu plant. If the world's population gets too low, it might die. In fact, the only thing keeping it alive now is the vast amounts of untouched forests that androids have left alone."

The two friends then decided to talk about other things. They didn't want their first meeting in years to be filled with depressing conversations. Mr. Popo had found many new secrets within the lookout, while exploring so there was a lot to talk about.

* * *

It was now evening and the last rays of the setting sun fell on the sleeping couple. They were fully clothed and had fallen asleep above the covers, but rested peacefully in each other's arms.

Eighteen was the first to stir and upon noticing the time, shook Gohan awake. "Gohan! Gohan!"

Gohan groaned groggily and opened his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's already evening. Brother will be furious with me. I've got to get home."

"You've left late before, why is this time different?"

"I don't know…he just seemed more agitated this time."

Gohan followed her to the door and placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes softened as he felt sympathy towards her. "Will you be okay?"

"Gohan. Maybe I am what you say I am, and maybe now…I feel like finding out more about it. Will you wait here for me? Feel free to use the kitchen and shower, just please wait here until I come back."

Gohan pecked her on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'll stay, just be careful."

She nodded before reluctantly taking off.

Though she wouldn't admit it, even to herself, she was somewhat scared of what awaited her at home. She had slapped her brother, a man who never, ever liked being hit in the face. He was stronger than her, and could easily hurt her if he snapped.

As such fearful thoughts consumed her she arrived at home. Bracing herself for the upcoming confrontation, she cautiously opened the door. The sight behind it, made her jump.

Seventeen was standing right there, and he was fuming. He had spent the entire day brooding over his sister's behavior, and the slap she had given him.

"You were gone all day again."

"You could've gone out to kill people without me."

"I would have if I hadn't been so preoccupied by the fact that my own sister slapped me just because I was following her! What the hell happened to you Eighteen?"

"I'm sorry Seventeen. I was just upset about you following me. I mean, we do have to have some secrets don't we? I'm allowed to go off on my own and hang out by myself."

"So there is a secret?"

"No…just a secret spot where I go off to by myself. It's like a field, there's nothing special about it. I just go there by myself."

"More lies?"

"No!"

"How would I know? You've lied to me a few times already."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?"

"Yes I don't trust you!" And arrogant smirk then appeared on his face. "Is it a boyfriend?"

Eighteen shook her head violently. "NO!"

Seventeen chuckled. "We'd better hope so for your sake." He then turned to go upstairs. "Oh and you will be here tomorrow for killing people, right?"

Eighteen nodded. "I will." She was too intimidated to say no.

"Good. I'll be in my room then."

When Seventeen slammed the door shut Eighteen relaxed and hung on the door for balance. She would have to miss seeing Gohan for most of the day if she wanted to convince her brother that she was still the same person.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter as well as my explanation for what's happening with Gohan's powers. Since I'm going to be working extra long on the last chapter of 'Odd Affection', I'll probably continue to update this story instead.


	10. Set Free

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan sat up in bed when he heard someone entering. _That's odd. She normally doesn't come by this early._

Eighteen looked distressed as she entered the room. "Good, you're up."

"Is something wrong Eighteen? You look stressed."

"My brother expects me to join him today for our morning killing spree. I can't come here to spend time with you, so I'm letting you go."

Gohan blinked a few times as her words sank in. "Are you serious? You're just letting me go…just like that."

"I said that didn't I?" She glared at Gohan, but her eyes quickly softened. "I know it's sudden, but I don't think I can do this anymore. I just can't lie to my brother and constantly skip around him."

Gohan reached forward and stroked her hair. "I understand, but don't think I won't try to stop you."

"I know…" She gave him a sad smile. "I know that you're still not at full power."

He looked surprised. "How?"

"When you transformed for me earlier. For a moment, your eyes…you looked disappointed. As if you weren't as strong as you hoped to be."

He looked away from her. "I'm weaker than I was when I fought you, and there's nothing the senzu beans can do to fix it."

She turned his head to make him face her. "I should kill you right now, and I would have before, but." She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do it!" She threw herself into his arms, a few tears streaked down her cheeks. "I can't…no matter what I try to think, I've just lost it. I can't bear to hurt you. That's why I'm setting you free s you can go back home to your family and friends."

Rubbing her back gently, Gohan held her tightly. "Look Eighteen…things…things don't have to go back to the way they were, at least not entirely. We could still have something. If you let me go, we could start seeing each other by choice instead of by necessity."

"But there's no way our old and new lives could ever coexist. What would your friends say? What would my brother say?"

"I don't know about your brother, but I'm sure my friends will trust my judgment."

"Or they might start questioning it. My brother is probably as close to me as your friends are to you, and yet he's started to lose trust in me just because I've been coming here without telling him. I know this might sound cruel, but if your friends or family find out about you and me, they could easily become hostile towards you. You could go from hero to traitor, and I don't want to do that to you."

"Hey, a lot of my friends were once evil or at least enemies of my dad. It'll take time, but they'll all come around eventually." Gohan's expression then straightened up. "They won't trust you if you keep destroying cities though."

She let out a disgruntled sigh. "Honestly, destroying cities doesn't sound as appealing as it used to. I'd much rather spend more time talking to you. You're a very interesting person to talk to, and a good kisser too."

Gohan blushed lightly and chuckled. "You're pretty interesting too. Especially since I don't really know much about you." Looking her in the eyes, he became serious. "You said you'd rather spend time with me than kill, so why don't you just tell your brother that you don't want to kill anymore?"

"I…I don't want to admit it, and you'd better not tell anyone." She looked embarrassed and ashamed.

He became concerned. "What is it?"

"I'm scared of him."

"Scared? Why?"

"I wasn't before, but now…he's become so intimidating. He's always been stronger than me, but now I think he might actually consider attacking me."

"But…he's your brother."

"He's also a somewhat unstable teenage boy at heart. There's no telling what he'll do when things don't go his way. Up until I started coming to you, the only time I've ever really gotten to him was when I kept him waiting while I shopped for clothes. He would always promptly destroy the clothing store and eventually put a hole in all the new clothes I bought."

"That's just a temper tantrum. I once thought of melting my mom's frying pan, even though I never actually went through with it."

"Seventeen's different. He destroys what he doesn't like and whatever he thinks is keeping me from being 'His' perfect sister. If he finds out about you, then…"

"You're afraid for me?"

"Don't get me wrong. I know you can take care of yourself, but you're not nearly as strong as my brother. The worst he'll give me is a good slap or a mild beating, but for you…who knows what he could do?"

"We can face him together…if you're willing."

Eighteen shook her head, and stood up, walking over to the window and staring out with a blank expression. "I'd rather not. Just please…leave. Go home and rest for a while."

Gohan also stood up, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there for you." He then turned to leave. "Goodbye Eighteen."

A tear slid down Eighteen's cheek as she listened to his steps fading away, followed by the shutting of the door. _I'll miss you Gohan.

* * *

_

Chichi's eyes widened when she heard a knock at the door. Bulma and Trunks were already visiting and Master Roshi always called before a visit. She had no idea who it could be.

"Were you expecting a guest Chichi?" asked Bulma.

Shaking her head, Chichi cautiously approached the door. "Trunks, could you watch my back? It could be a burglar."

Trunks nodded and got ready to fight. However, after sensing the power level outside his face lit up, and he relaxed. _Yes! It's him!_

Chichi was speechless when she opened the door to see her son looking down at her.

Gohan gave everyone inside a broad grin. "Hey Everyone. What took you so long to answer the door?"

"G-Gohan?"

"Yes mom, it's me. I've come home." Once his arrival had fully registered in their minds, Gohan braced himself as everyone inside rushed forward to give him hugs and ask him questions.

"My baby! Are you all right?" asked Chichi.

"Where were all this time?" asked Trunks.

"Did the androids really injure you that badly?" asked Bulma.

Gohan raised his hand and tried to calm them down. "Hold on. I'll tell you what happened after we sit down."

Everyone calmed down and made their way to the living room. Gohan sat on a couch and the others all sat around him so as to better hear the story.

"I'll start from the battle with the androids," said Gohan. "I lost against android 18, but was able to survive. I'm not sure how, but I outlasted their attacks and woke up some time later. There were some survivors of the androids' attack, who found me and nursed me back to health. I was then able to finish healing up by eating a few senzu beans."

"So the locals helped nurse you back to health," asked Trunks. "I thought the androids were holding you hostage."

Gohan shook his head, but couldn't help feeling nervous on the inside. _He's perceptive all right. I'll bet he sensed my power spike when I went ballistic on Eighteen._

"So why weren't you able to come back?" Trunks leaned forward, eagerly awaiting Gohan's answer. "I sensed your power go up higher than ever before a while ago."

"I took a senzu bean and thought I was at full power. Then I decided to test my strength. I was somehow able to power up to an amazingly high level, but my body couldn't handle the strain and became seriously damaged. The locals made me stay in bed a while longer before their doctor deemed me ready for travel."

Gohan didn't like lying to them, but he knew that they weren't ready for the real truth. He hoped that they would buy his lie, though Trunks would be harder to fool. The boy knew him better than any other living person.

"That sounds almost like the usual story," commented Bulma. "I guess you're just inching forward. I'm sure you'll eventually get strong enough to defeat them."

"Yeah…I guess so."

* * *

"So Eighteen, are you back to normal yet?"

She let out a disgruntled sigh; her brother's childishness was getting to be annoying. _Gohan may be Eight years younger, but he's far more mature. It's so embarrassing._

"Yo! Earth to Eighteen!"

"I'm fine moron!"

Seventeen chuckled. "You sure are. I'm glad that you've stopped…whatever it is you were doing. By the way, I know that alone time stuff was just a load of bull. So…was it a boyfriend?"

"No! I would never, ever have a boyfriend!"

"Thought so. I was just kidding sis."

"Well don't kid. Let's just start attacking already." They were now hovering above the unsuspecting city.

"Look at all those pitiful humans. They think that we left because we haven't attacked in a few days. Why don't we rain on their parade?"

Eighteen shrugged. "Sure."

"You're not as enthusiastic about this as you used to be. Oh well, maybe it's because you've forgotten how good it feels."

"Yeah, so why don't you shut up so I can get to remembering."

Seventeen raised his arms defensively. "Chill out sis." He then landed in the middle of a street, causing everyone there to freeze up. "Hello humans. Did you miss us?"

It only took seconds for the danger to sink in. Then the people started running for their lives.

"Looks like we've go ourselves a stampede," said Eighteen with a feigned smile. _I'll just humor him for a while, then sneak off somewhere and be quiet until it's time to leave._

"Hey Eighteen! I've just scored twenty points!" Seventeen was laughing madly as he fired ki blasts left and right, downing large numbers of people.

Eighteen extended her hand and started firing her own. However, it didn't feel quite the same as it used to. It wasn't that she felt sorry for the humans or that she had lost all interest in dominating the planet. It was Gohan; she didn't like the fact that she was doing something he didn't like. It felt empty and meaningless.

Seventeen didn't seem to notice his sister's lack of enthusiasm. She was killing quite a few people, and he was now caught up in the competition. He eventually spotted a car and hoped into it.

"I get ten points for every human I hit!"

Eighteen sighed through her nose as she watched her brother run over the screaming people. _He's exactly the same as he always was…I'm the one who's changed. I'm sorry Seventeen, but things are going to be different between us._

Scanning the area for any form of amusement, Eighteen's eyes locked onto a shopping mall. "Hey Seventeen! I think I'll do some shopping!"

"Sure! Whatever! Just as long as I don't have to come!" Seventeen continued to laugh like a maniac as he drove wildly across the streets and sidewalks.

Upon entering the mall, Eighteen saw that it was abandoned. _At least I won't have to kill anyone._ She immediately got to work, scouring the place for clothing that caught her eye.

None of the clothes there seemed special to her. Then she eyed something among the piles of clothing. It was a cute black dress that left her back and arms exposed and showed off her cleavage without revealing too much. It had a wide bottom and stopped at her ankles.

Eighteen promptly snatched the dress and made her way to the dressing rooms to try it on. On the way, she spied a pair of black two-inch high-heels that went well with the dress, and picked them up as well.

It only took her two minutes to change into the dress and heels. The mirror in the stall was too small to give her the view she wanted, so she decided to look at herself in the larger mirror she had seen at another part of the store. Once there, she twirled around a few times, smiling with satisfaction.

"The dress suits you."

Turning around, she flashed him a seductive grin. "You think so?" Se looked him over. He had changed his usual outfit in favor of a pair f black jeans and a black vest. _Those clothes definitely suit him._

"Come on Eighteen, stop it. You know why I'm here."

She pouted. "But Gohan, I just love this dress, and you said it looks good on me. Can't I keep it?"

"It wouldn't be right. You know that."

"The owners have long since abandoned this store, leaving all of this behind. Wouldn't it be okay for me to just…take it?"

Gohan shook his head. "It's called looting."

She abruptly turned away from him. "Hmph! You're no fun." Looking back into the mirror, she then began flipping her hair into different styles to see which one went best with her outfit.

Unbeknownst to her, Gohan's eyes were darting up and down her body. _What is wrong with her? Her hair looks best when it's down…okay…since when did I become a hair critic?_

Gohan fell into a daze as he watched her messing with her hair. The dress really brought out the best in her. It left something to the imagination, but revealed so much more. Her body was perfect or as close to his view of perfect as one could get. He found it hard to focus on one particular thing as his eyes darted back and forth from her butt to her waist and back. He wanted to have her…he had to have her.

What he did next was based purely on instinct. Phasing behind her, he grabbed her by the waist and turned her around to face him.

Eighteen was shocked confused. "Gohan?"

He lunged forward and locked lips with her, pining her against the wall. He felt her arms wrap around his neck. She wasn't resisting; she was encouraging him. He lifted her up by the waist and began rubbing his crotch against hers.

There was a slit in her dress that allowed her to reveal her leg. It proved useful as she wrapped her legs around his waist. _I don't know what came over him, but I like it._

He bent his knees and slowly lowered her to the ground as he got into a sitting position. She was now on his lap with her legs around his waist. One of her hands was now running through his hair as the other rubbed his back.

He began massaging her hips, eliciting moans of pleasure. Feeling a wave of confidence, he moved his right hand to her left shoulder, and slid the shoulder strap down. He then fondled her, now exposed, neckline with kisses as she arched her neck back.

Then, his mind caught up and he realized what he had been doing. Pulling away, he looked into her bewildered eyes with a beet red face. "Sorry about that. I guess I got carried away."

She flashed him an enticing grin. "Don't be sorry. I'm only upset that you stopped."

"I'd be happy to continue, but this hardly seems like the time or the place."

"How about my place, tonight. Does that seem more appropriate?"

Gohan was about to reply, but quickly shook his head. He snapped himself out of the trance he had been in. "I almost forgot. You've been killing people and looting stores. Why should I give you what you want?"

Her eyes softened. "It didn't feel the same."

"What didn't?"

"When I killed people...I was only doing it to fool my brother. I can't say that it felt good. In fact I hated it. But the reason why I hated it wasn't really because I felt sorry for them. It felt empty and pointless, but I hated it because I knew I was doing something you wouldn't like. I know it sounds weak and cheesy, but that's basically how it was."

"I…I believe you. You don't seem like you're lying. But what about your brother?"

"I'll find a way to get him off my back." She gently stroked his cheek. "Please come. I have to spend more time with you."

"I will. I-"

"Hey Eighteen! You in there?"

"Crap it's Seventeen."

Gohan stood back up and set Eighteen back on her feet. "I should get going."

"That would be best. Seventeen can't see us together. He still thinks you're dead."

Gohan turned to leave, but planted a quick kiss on Eighteen's cheek. "I'll be there tonight." He then ran off into the mall to hide from Seventeen.

A few minutes later, Seventeen passed by the store. "Hey Eighteen!"

"I'm in here Seventeen!" Eighteen returned to her stall in order to change back into her original outfit.

Seventeen respected her privacy and turned away from the stalls. "Did you find some new clothes?"

"I found this wonderful black dress." Eighteen emerged a few minutes later with the dress in hand.

Seventeen's eyes narrowed as he looked over his sister. He was able to read subtle clues that nobody else would notice. "Was there someone else here?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"You're flushed Eighteen, and covered in sweat."

"So?"

"So, I don't believe that you went for a jog or were masturbating, and it isn't particularly hot in here. Why else would you be sweating."

"This dress really suits me." She held out the dress in front of her. "I just looked in the mirror and was taken by how hot I looked in it." _That has got to be my most pathetic lie yet._

Seventeen gave her a suspicious look. "Sure." _More lies._ "Come on. Its time to get home." He then turned and left with Eighteen following.

* * *

This chapter marks a major shift in the story. Gohan is no longer a captive, but he and Eighteen have to keep their relationship a secret.


	11. Rendezvous

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

"Mom, I'm leaving."

"Gohan? Where are you going? You only just got back."

Gohan turned around in the doorway to face his mother and grandfather. "Just going out for a little while."

"Please don't go and fight the androids," said the Ox King. "We were all worried about you and you've only just come home."

"Don't worry," replied Gohan with an overly wide smile. "I'm not going to fight the androids. I'm just going out for a while. Androids don't attack at night so I should be fine, and besides, I have to get out and enjoy life while I'm still young right?"

Chichi sighed and smiled at him. "I suppose so. Just stay out of trouble. If you're not back tomorrow I'll know something's wrong."

"Fair enough." Gohan walked out. After closing the door behind him, he took off, heading towards Eighteen's secret hideout. He remembered the way because he had only returned that morning.

Keeping an eye out for anyone following him, he cautiously flew just above the tree line. Eventually, he came to an artificial desert. It was artificial in the sense that it had been caused by the androids' path of destruction.

His memory was had become nearly photographic in the past few years, a product of his joint saiyan-human heritage. This memory had become important in mapping out the landscape and giving him a familiarity with the environment around him that the androids didn't have. It also allowed him to trace his steps back to Eighteen's hideout where she would be waiting.

Gohan placed his hand on his heart as he felt it beat. It seemed heavy, something he knew was related to sadness, and yet he was happy. The thought of seeing Eighteen and picking up where they had left off in the mall gave him an uplifting feeling and made his stomach knot up.

However, Gohan realized where this train of thought was headed and shook his head to clear his mind. _No Gohan, you can't be so naïve again. You've only doing this to turn her back to her human self. You don't have any special feelings for her. What happened in the mall was pure lust, nothing more._

As he landed at the outskirts of the abandoned town, Gohan realized that he didn't want to believe what he had told himself. His rational mind knew that their last encounter had been driven by lust, but there was a part of him that felt a connection. That part of him, the emotional part, thought that there could be love in the future, even if there wasn't any right now.

_She has been warmer towards me lately_ reasoned the emotional side. _Perhaps she's just discovering these feelings for the first time. Maybe she's having the same debate inside as I am._

Before he knew it, he had arrived at her door. After looking around cautiously, he knocked on the door, and became quiet, listening for any sign of activity inside.

He could hear shuffling and within minutes, the door had opened. Eighteen stood in the doorway with a seductive smile.

"What took you so long Gohan?"

"Sorry, but you weren't very specific about the time."

She shrugged and stepped out of the way. "Fair enough, now please come in."

She led him into the living room, to the left of the door. It wasn't very large or specious, but it still had a very relaxing atmosphere. There were three sofas on the left, right, and back walls of the room, and each one was big enough for a man like Gohan to sleep on. In the middle was a coffee table that wasn't particularly large or luxurious, but looked nice enough and was reachable by people sitting at either of the sofas.

"So what do you think?"

Gohan suppressed a giggle. "How much was stolen."

She lightly elbowed him in the gut. "Is that any way to talk to your loving host?" She then sat on one of the sofas and patted the area to her right, inviting Gohan to sit next to her.

Gohan obliged and after sitting down, he turned to her to see what she would do. However, he noticed her hair had fallen out of place from behind the ear and promptly tucked it back in.

Turning to him with a smirk, she arched an eyebrow, enjoying the expression on his face.

"Sorry about that." Gohan hoped that he hadn't crossed any boundaries he shouldn't have.

Placing a hand on his cheek, she leaned forward so their noses were nearly touching. "It's fine, and appreciate the kind gesture."

Gohan felt the sweat coming as he stared into those deep blue eyes just inches in front of him. _She's right there…what should I do? Should I kiss her? I want to kiss her, but will she let me?_

As she stared into his eyes, Eighteen was trying to find any hint of action. _I hope he isn't in shock or something. I don't want us to just sit here and stare at each other all night. When will he make a move?_

Gohan noted that she was leaning towards him. It was the most comfortable position she could be in, so she probably expected to get something out of it. _She wasn't angry when I did it in the mall. I guess she'll be okay with it now._

He leaned in and pushed his lips into hers. Closing his eyes, he let his emotional side take over. She was kissing back and he could feel the soft skin of her arms around his neck, pulling him down onto her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and the other around her neck, running his fingers through her hair. As he began to straddle her, she moved one of her arms to around his waist, keeping him firmly in place, and started running her fingers through his hair.

They broke the kiss to breathe, and she gave him a sweet smile. "Did you eat?"

He nodded. "I did."

"Good, cause you'll need all the energy you can get."

He got off her so she could sit up. He was sweating from the effort and the sexual tension between them. As he panted, he remembered something and chuckled.

She gave him a mischievous smile. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

She scooted closer as her grin broadened. "Come on, tell me."

"It's about that dress. I'm guessing you didn't return it."

"You guessed right, though I doubt you'll be complaining when I change into it." She stood up and noted his clothing. He was wearing the same clothes she had seen him in earlier, but his black jeans had been replaced by another, more formal looking kind of black pant. "I like the new look. You look so much better when you're not trying to copy your father."

Gohan looked at down at his vest. "I guess I have you to thank for that as well. I was a lot more like my father before you…well…wizened me up. I guess I realized that while he was a great fighter and all around, nice person, he really didn't make the best role model."

Her eyes softened as she looked down at him. _He really doesn't like talking bad about his father. He's still very loyal to him._

"I suppose streets smarts don't matter as much nowadays," commented Gohan. "If I had been as good a fighter as dad-"

"Don't say that." Cupping his chin, she tilted his head back so he could face her. "You're a good fighter in your own right. In fact, based on my data, I'd say that you're even better. Stop living in your father's shadow. Off course you can't be as good at his fighting style as him, because that's his element and not yours. You've got your own skills, and I'm sure you could beat him with those."

Gohan blinked away the tears before they could fully form. "You're right. Thanks Eighteen."

Satisfied with his mood, she stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips. "Wait here, while I slip into that dress you liked so much." Giving him a wink, she turned around and went to her room to get changed.

Gohan felt the heat in his cheeks as his thoughts wandered to that seductive black dress he had seen her in. He hardened up between the legs at the thought of how she'd look. _I know she stole it, but that dress really suits her._ Unknown to Gohan, his sexual arousal caused his ki to flare up. It wasn't at combat level, but it would stand out as higher than it should be.

* * *

Trunks stared out the window intently. He had a serious and determined expression as he stood there like a statue. He had felt Gohans slight power increase, and while people like Master Roshi wouldn't have thought much of it; he tended to obsess over it. Gohan was his mentor, and now he was back where Trunks had been sensing him for a while.

"Something out there that I should know about?" asked Bulma as she put the dishes away.

"He's gone back there, mom."

She knew exactly whom he was talking about. "Where's Gohan gone Trunks?"

"He's gone back to wherever he was while he was recovering from his battle with the androids."

"So? Gohan said there were people there who helped him recover. Why should it bother you that he's gone back to see them?"

"I don't know…it's just that…this late? Those people would be in bed by now. It's too late for him to go there and check in with them. There's something strange going on over there…I just know it."

"You sound like your father Trunks," commented Bulma. Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

Turning to her, Trunks gave her a look that told her he wouldn't give up until he figure out the exact meaning of what she had said. "Did my father have some one he was that worried about mom?" asked Trunks with genuine curiosity.

Bulma shook her head. "No it's not that. Vegeta was just…suspicious when things didn't seem right. When Gohan's dad, Goku, said he wouldn't be coming back to Earth for a while, Vegeta immediately thought he was up to something or perfecting his skills as a super saiyan."

Trunks' expression turned sour. "And it all comes back to Goku doesn't it?"

"What's wrong Trunks?"

"Goku! Goku! Goku! That's all everyone talks about. You, Mrs. Chichi, the Ox King, and even Gohan, you're all talking about this dead guy from the past like he was some god, and you barely say anything about my dad."

Bulma raised her hands defensively as she tried to calm her some down. "Now Trunks, your father was a great man and-"

"Then why don't you tell me more about him? You're always talking about how great Goku was, but even Gohan hesitates when it comes to my dad. What is it about him that you don't want me knowing?"

Bulma gave Trunks a look that said 'I'm sorry but you're not ready yet'. "Trunks…I would tell you when you got older, but I'm not sure if you'd like it. You're father was never an easy man to get along with. He had a hard time letting people inside, but once you knew him and saw past the cold exterior, you'd realize that he was a good person." A somewhat sad expression crossed her face as she put the last of the dishes away. "He never once said that he cared about me, even though I know he did."

Trunks knew that his mother had a hard time discussing his father with him. There was something about Vegeta that she didn't want Trunks to know, and at the same time she didn't like lying to him. "Alright mom. I'll drop the subject for now, but please tell me more about him later."

"I'll tell you when your older Trunks. Your father wasn't exactly the nicest man around, though he was definitely a good person. You'll understand him better when you've matured some more."

Trunks nodded and resumed staring back at the window. _Whatever caused his power to rise; it's still going on. What's Gohan doing out there? He couldn't be a super saiyan, and yet his power feels far higher than it normally would when he's not fighting._

Bulma became worried. _What if Trunks goes out there again and gets attacked by an android?_ "Hey Trunks."

"What is it mom?"

"I'm going to work on my science project in the basement. Care to help me out?"

Trunks shrugged. "Sure mom." _Even though I think what she's trying to do is crazy, I just like working on stuff down there. It's just fun.

* * *

_

Seventeen tried to get to sleep as he lay down in his bed. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful on the outside, but his mind was racing. Even though his sister had partaken in all of their killing sprees today, her heart didn't seem to be in it anymore. This disturbed Seventeen as he felt that there was something else which had drawn her away.

Sitting up and opening his eyes, he screamed and slammed his fist into the wall. "It doesn't make any sense!"

When he removed his fist, part of the wall fell to the floor as dust. Since he had controlled his power, there was only a small crater in the wall.

Bringing his breathing under control, Seventeen calmed himself down and decided to review the facts. He wanted to get to the bottom of his sister's behavior.

_Let's see…it all began when…She supposedly killed Gohan. Could he have something to do with this?_ A light bulb went off in Seventeen's head. _Earlier today, when she got that dress…she was sweating when I got there. I'm sure there was a man with her. Could that man have been Gohan? No! He's dead…unless, I doubt his friends would've picked up the body and my sister probably didn't incinerate it. If it's not there, then I know he's still alive. But why would Eighteen go to him? If I'm right about my hunch, then she's been spending all her time with him._

He got up with a new determination. _I remember the spot where Eighteen last fought Gohan. If his body isn't there, then I'll know something's up._

Leaving the house, he took off for the location of his last meeting with Gohan. Being partly mechanical allowed him to retain a photographic memory of past events.

When he arrived, he noted that there were no drastic changes to the environment. The building that Gohan and his sister had completely destroyed was easily recognizable. There was also a scorched crater, where she had supposedly ended him.

Thoroughly combing the city, Seventeen found no signs of Gohan. There were no blood trails, or any signs of a funeral. It was as if he had walked away from this.

_Or maybe someone carried him away and tended to his wounds_, thought Seventeen. He then noticed a trail of blood leading out of the city. _Those must've fallen from Gohan's body, but they looked like then fell from a great height. So Eighteen must've carried him off for some reason._

The trail of blood wasn't easy to follow because the drops of bloods were spaced widely apart, and nearly impossible to track on foot. Seventeen had to fly in the air and scan the ground intently to pick them up.

* * *

Gohan sighed happily as he reclined on the bed. His arms were spread wide and Eighteen was using his left shoulder as a pillow. She was on her side with her arms draped over his belly. They were both fully clothed, indicating that they hadn't done anything sexual.

They laid there for a while, basking in each other's warmth and enjoying the serene atmosphere. "Mmm…Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"Just seeing if you were awake."

"Well now you know."

She smiled. "I can't believe I actually feel like sleeping."

He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it's because this kind of…activity triggers that in humans. I mean; you're still partly human."

"Somehow, hearing you say that doesn't annoy me any more."

"That's because I'm not saying it to get to you. I guess you've just subconsciously accepted your womanhood."

A wide smirk appeared on her face. "Really? You sure it's not because I've learned to tune it out?"

They both laughed. "I guess it could be that, though I am entitled to my own fantasies."

Lifting herself up with her arms, she looked down at him with a sly smile and a raise eyebrow. "Fantasies huh? You have fantasies about me?"

Gohan's cheeks turned red. "Um…that's not what I meant."

She giggled at him. "You know, you're cute when you blush like that."

Gohan briefly closed his eyes before thinking of a comeback. Reopening them, he said, "That smile of yours makes you look absolutely luscious."

She gave him a devious grin. "Now that's something I never expected to come out of your mouth."

"I honestly never expected to say that, until I saw you in that dress."

She let out a primal growl. "I'm not sleepy anymore, time for round two."

Gohan promptly picked up on her mood and, grabbing her by the waist, flipped her over, straddling her. They were both happy right now, but both knew they would have to return to the outside world when morning came.

* * *

It's been a while, or at least longer than normal, since I last updated. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Even thought they're into each other, I probably won't have either Gohan or Eighteen say 'I love you', until much later. As for Seventeen, I already have some idea of what I'll have him do. I'm not sure if I should include Cell. In canon, he's only supposed to awaken when Trunks is 21, and in this story, Trunks is 8. Also, Cell might not be necessary since I'm going to portray Seventeen as significantly stronger than Eighteen.


	12. Conflict

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Seventeen floated over the barren desert. The sun was starting to come up, and he had lost the blood trail. He was currently pouting with crossed arms. _This sucks! I guess the bleeding stopped at this point._

However, he remembered something that made a light bulb go off in his head. _That boy, Trunks…I think. He had been going somewhere when I stopped him. Yes, he was heading in the same direction that I was when he ran into me. I'll just keep moving in a straight line, and that should lead me somewhere._

Moving in a straight line on the same course he had been on during the night, Seventeen flew as fast as he could. At that speed, it didn't take him a long time to reach the outskirts of the abandoned town, but before he could any further, he saw two figures floating in mid-air. They were some distance away, and out of the earshot of a normal human, but Seventeen could here and see them clearly.

He lowered himself to the ground and hid behind a large object protruding from the ground, probably the remains of an old car. Then he looked up at the pair, and listened. Knowing whom they were made his blood boil. It was his sister and she was with Gohan.

"Last night was fun," said Eighteen. "We should do that again."

"I'd love to," replied Gohan, "but I should get going now before my mom starts to worry."

"Yeah…and I've got to get back home before my brother throws a fit or something," replied Eighteen, causing them to laugh.

Seventeen clenched his fists angrily. Mentally, he was debating whether or not he should reveal himself. _I could go over there and make Eighteen choose, but Gohan doesn't seem to be forcing her to choose. That would just make me look bad to her._ Then a malicious grin appeared. _I'll just get him back when he's alone. Eighteen doesn't care about him, she's just using him…probably thinks she needs a man, but I'll prove that she doesn't by killing him. When he's gone, she'll realize that she never needed him._

The plan was now clear, he would find Gohan, teach him a lesson, and then kill him. He would also tell his sister that he saw her with him, and convince her not to try something like this again.

Seventeen saw them part ways as Gohan headed home and Eighteen headed back to their home. He didn't catch the last part of their conversation and mentally cursed himself for developing his plan while they were still talking. However, this only lasted a few seconds, as Seventeen realized it wouldn't matter. He would have his way, and there was nothing either one of them could do.

When they were both a satisfactory distance away, Seventeen emerged from his hiding place and headed home.

He couldn't see Eighteen because he had let her get ahead. Knowing that he was stronger than her, he decided to let her know what he had seen once he got back. Her reaction would tell him volumes about what was going on and how she felt about Gohan.

The house came into view and Seventeen touched down. Knowing that Eighteen was inside, he decided to begin his revenge plan. Opening the door, he walked in calmly and said, "Eighteen! I'm home!"

"Where were you?" asked Eighteen from her room.

"Oh, so it's okay when you go out-"

"Never mind," replied Eighteen in an annoyed tone.

Seventeen smirked. _She has no clue. I guess I'll have some fun now._ "So how's Gohan?" asked Seventeen as Eighteen came downstairs

Raising an eyebrow, Eighteen shook her head. "Dead. If you're going to make a joke, you could at least try and make it funny."

"I wasn't joking," replied Seventeen in a more serious tone as his smirk broadened.

Eighteen gave him a questioning look, as if she didn't know what he was getting at. _Oh no! Did Seventeen follow me or find something out? I hope he's just being delusional or is just trying to scare me._

Seventeen smirked as he read her face. There was no indication that she knew what he was talking about, but he could read deeper than that. Her eyes told a different story. He could see worry written all over them. _So she does at least worry about what I'd think, but let's push it a little further to find out more._

Eighteen was definitely worried, but what worried her most was the fact that he was still smirking like that. If he really did know something, she would expect him to throw some kind of tantrum, and if it were just a joke, he would've broken out in laughter by now.

_Something's not right about this. He's plotting something; I just know it. A smirk like that only comes when he's got something planned, and I'll bet it's not good._

"What's wrong Eighteen? Are you worried about something, or someone?"

"No."

"Then why do you look so worried? I can tell, I see it in your eyes." He could see her façade beginning to crack. "I know you've had contact with him."

Eighteen's eyes widened. "What do you know?"

"So you're admitting it then?"

"No, I just what to know what you think you know." She looked like she had just lost a game to a hated rival.

Seventeen grinned broadly. "I think that you didn't kill Gohan during your last battle, and that for some reason you let him live and took him away from the site of the battle. I also think that your unexplained absences have something to do with him. You were with him tonight, weren't you? That's why you never came home, and you were with him this morning when I saw both of you." He could read her emotions through her eyes. They told her that he'd been right so far. Deciding to have some fun, he said "it's a good thing he won't be a bother to us anymore."

Eighteen's eyes widened as her newfound fear came forth. "What are you going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to finish what you started and do what you failed to do. I wouldn't have minded if he had survived some other way, but I can't have him inferring with us, and our way of life."

Clenching her fists, Eighteen felt her fear being replaced by anger. "Why? Why are you ruining my fu-?"

"Fun? We kill people for fun! Tell me Eighteen, when did fun start meaning screwing an annoying saiyan brat!"

"He's not an annoying saiyan brat! In case you haven't noticed, he's grown up now, and for your information, I haven't had sex with him!"

"Oh really? How do I know that you're not lying? You did spend the night with him!" Seventeen spoke in an accusatory tone as he stared at his sister with a betrayed look. "What was it that caused this? Was it something he said to you when you were fighting in the building that made you feel sorry for him? Or maybe you wanted to use him, and he ended up getting to you in some way! Which one was it?"

"I wanted to rape him!" Eighteen was trembling as emotions started bubbling to the surface. "I carried him away so I could have my way with him, then break his heart before killing him. But-"

"But what Eighteen?" Seventeen was getting angrier. He didn't like seeing his sister like this. _Those are human emotions; she isn't supposed to be reacting like this!_ "What happened? WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?"

"I couldn't kill him! He made me feel guilt, and anger, and sadness! He reminded me that I used to be human! That's why I cared about him, and why I decided to spend time with him!"

"He's poisoned your mind! We're androids! We don't feel human emotions!"

"You're so immature Seventeen! You're just using that excuse to justify doing the things you do! I'm sorry if you don't get it, but I'm through! I don't want to take part in those childish games anymore! I'm growing up!"

Seventeen glared at his sister with hateful eyes. However, his hatred wasn't towards his sister, but to the person who caused her to be this way. "So this is how it's going to be?" She didn't respond. "Fine! Stay here and think about your human emotions! I'm going to kill people!"

"Go ahead. I can't stop you," replied Eighteen as she turned away from him and headed back to her room.

Seventeen watched his sister go back upstairs. _She's definitely changed, but I cannot accept this. Sorry Eighteen, but it's for your own good._ He left the house and took off, but his target wasn't a city.

* * *

Gohan was flying towards his house, when he heard an explosion nearby. _Great! Why'd it have to happen so soon?_ Changing his course, he headed towards the sight of the explosion.

However, it wasn't coming from a city, or at least not a functioning one. What surprised Gohan was the fact that it came from the city he had last fought in, the one where Eighteen had pretended to kill him in.

Landing in one of the many craters that littered the ruined city, he began walking calmly towards the source of the explosions. _This doesn't make any sense. I know it's the androids, but which one, and why. There aren't any people to kill here._

When he finally arrived, he saw Seventeen standing, firing aimlessly. However, when Seventeen noticed him, he stopped and turned to him with a grim expression. "I've been expecting you Gohan."

Raising an eyebrow, Gohan approached cautiously; ready to turn super saiyan at the drop of a hat. "How did you know I was alive?"

"I saw you this morning."

Gohan's eyes widened. _He saw me? Then that means that Eighteen…_

"Don't waste time worrying about my sister. She'll be fine once I've eliminated you. Then things will get back to normal and we can put this whole thing behind us."

Powering up into a super saiyan, Gohan got ready to fight, but he knew that he didn't stand a chance. _This isn't good. I can't beat him. My power hasn't increased at all. How did Seventeen find out about this anyway? What happened? Did he follow us?_

A crazed smiled appeared on Seventeen's face as he advanced on Gohan. "You know that you can't beat me, but it's always more fun when you resist." The, without any warning, he phased behind Gohan and knocked him to the ground with a vicious kick to the back of his head.

Gohan's head throbbed as he tried to stand up, but was yanked to his feet by Seventeen. The android was holding him up by his shirt. _Man, he must be pissed. I just hope Eighteen didn't feel any of this._

"What's wrong Gohan? Too weak to fight back?"

Gohan promptly raised his hand and fired a ki blast at Seventeen's face, causing him to let go. He then leapt back a few feet and fired a barrage of smaller ki blasts, stopping when a large dust cloud formed.

A small beam of ki shot out from the dust cloud. Gohan dodged most of it, but it scraped his shoulder, causing a stinging feeling. Moments later, Seventeen emerged from the dust cloud and tried to punch Gohan. His target struggled to block and dodged the punches.

Gohan tried to fight back with his own attacks, however, his punches and kicks always missed. He then charged ki around one of his fists as he brought it forward, but Seventeen grabbed his arm at the wrist and landed a punch on his own on Gohan's jaw.

Gohan backed away and raised his arms to defend himself. He wasn't fast enough to block Seventeen's gut punch, which doubled him over. The android then roundhouse kicked him I the head, sending him crashing through a building. Gohan landed on the other side of the building, and reverted to his normal form. His body was covered in cuts from the building's glass and there were a few bruises and large bloody patches where Seventeen had hit him.

Looking up, Gohan could see the android hovering over him ominously. Seventeen had a cruel smirk as he picked Gohan up and pummeled his face with punches. Once he was done, he let Gohan lay there. "Now listen. I am going to kill you, but first I'll tell you something. You think you know her, don't you?"

Gohan's ears perked up at the mention of Eighteen.

"She never cared about you. She was only using you. Off course, that messed up my lifestyle so I'm getting rid of you, but that won't be any big loss to her. She'll just find another victim to toy with. You see Gohan, you're nothing special to her; just another toy."

Gohan tried to say something, but found that he couldn't. His mouth wouldn't move due to the pain and the damage.

Seventeen laughed madly as he extended his hand. "Goodbye Gohan, and good riddance!" A yellow ki blast shot out of Seventeen's hand and engulfed Gohan's body. The careless android took off, without bothering to check on him. _That blast would have enough power to destroy Eighteen if she were in that state. There's no way Gohan could survive it._

However, Gohan was still alive, though fatally wounded. When the threat of Seventeen had passed, an old man came out of the shadows. Leaning over Gohan's unconscious form, he shook his head sadly before picking him up and carrying to him his concealed airship.

Oolong, who sat at the driver's seat turned around, and hi face contorted with horror when he saw the state Gohan was in. "Oh my god, what happened? I thought Gohan was back home!"

"Gohan's gotten himself involved in something," replied Master Roshi as he set Gohan down on a seat for two. "He couldn't have been saved by any local inhabitants here, there's no one around for miles."

"So why'd we come here any way?"

"To get some answers. When Gohan's fully recovered, I'm sure he'd have quite a story to tell. Let's get him back to Kame House."

Oolong fired up the engines and the airship lifted into the sky. Moments later, it was shooting through the air towards the remote island and Kame House.

* * *

It took me a while, but I'm finally starting to get back into my DBZ fics. This doesn't necessarily mean rapid updates, but I am working on them. I'm still doing the last chapter of Odd Affection, which won't have much action in it, but will be more of a reflective chapter. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.


	13. Pain of Loss

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Eighteen reclined on the couch with a bored expression. There were very few TV shows worth watching. She really wanted to be with Gohan right now, especially after that little argument with her brother. A year ago, if she ever argued with Seventeen like that, she would've shopped her troubles away, but now she had rediscovered guilt. Her version of shopping would trigger her guilt, which is something she hated.

Letting out a sigh, she pressed the off button on the remote and placed it on the table next to the couch. _Guess human emotions have their positives and negatives. I wonder what Seventeen's up to? He usually goes and kicks someone around after we have a fight…_

The door opened and Seventeen walked in with a proud expression. Eighteen noted that someone else's blood was splattered on him. Seventeen then turned to her with a grin, which made Eighteen somewhat uneasy.

"I've solved our problem Eighteen."

Raising an eyebrow, Eighteen watched her brother leave the room and go upstairs to change his clothes and wash off the blood. She pondered what he had said. _Why did Seventeen say that? I don't think he'd forgive me this early, especially after what I'd done to tick him off…wait! Did he do something to Gohan?_

Her anxiety rose as Seventeen came back down. He had changed his clothes, but that proud smirk remained on his face. Looking down from the stairs, he dismissed her worried look as a temporary side effect. "What's wrong? Haven't you figured it out? I've eliminated our problem. He's gone Eighteen. He won't get in our way or play with your head anymore."

"You…You killed him? You killed Gohan?"

He shrugged and chuckled lightly. "You talk as if it's so hard. He was no match for me."

"Why? Why'd you go after him without telling me." She didn't know if she was angry or sad. She just wanted answers. There was now a blank spot occupying what her emotions normally would.

"You were under his spell and would've tried to stop me. Don't worry. You'll be back to normal soon. I'll bet those human emotions will disappear within the week and we'll be back out there doing what we do best."

Clenching her fists, she stood up and made her way to the front door. "I'm leaving."

"Don't bother searching for him," said Seventeen. "I blasted his body into oblivion."

She slammed the door, as if hoping the sound would get those last words out of her head. She needed to get away from Seventeen, and the place where he was least likely to find her was her secret hideout, where she and Gohan had shared their last night.

Flying some distance towards her hideout, she turned around to make sure her brother wasn't following. The fact that he had found out about her and Gohan sill baffled her. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she continued to fly towards the abandoned town, praying that he hadn't found out about that as well. Once she landed and entered, she found the place to be as she had left it, so her brother had not been inside, or at least not left any clue of him being there.

She made her way to the bed where they had slept together. It was true that she hadn't had sex with Gohan, but they had still spent the night together. Her artificially enhanced memory could still remember his warmth as he slept beside her.

Closing the curtains to all the rooms, she then threw herself onto the bed, burying her nose in the blankets. _I can still smell him._ A sad smile crossed her face. _He's got such a strong smell…I love it…I wish I could smell it again, when it's fresh, but now I'll have to endure eternity without it…without him._

Tears slowly rolled down her face as she clenched her eyes shut. She would never allow her brother to see her like this. It was something only Gohan saw, and she would keep it that way. She tried hard to suppress the sobs, but failed miserably as her thoughts wandered back to him.

_I…I shouldn't have asked him to come over…I should've known that my brother would go after him. I could've saved him…_ She began pounding the pillows with her fist as she continued to sob into the covers.

* * *

Gohan's felt drained heavy, which was good news for him. Feeling fine would mean he was dead. The only question was where he was. City streets were never this soft to lie on, and the city he had fought Seventeen in didn't have people in it. He could clearly hear voices. They sounded familiar, but he was too out of it to make out whom they were.

"Something doesn't add up here," said Master Roshi as he looked down at the seemingly unconscious Gohan.

"What's unclear?" asked Oolong in an annoyed way. "He got his butt handed to him by Android Seventeen. What's so unclear about that?"

"They were fighting in a city that had bee deserted for days. In fact, it was the same city Gohan had fought the androids in before his mysterious disappearance."

"What's your point?"

"Seventeen probably drew Gohan's attention by blasting the area, making Gohan think it was another attack and that he had to respond to it. He lured Gohan into a trap, but Eighteen wasn't there."

Oolong scratched his head as he pondered the facts the old man presented. "So…maybe the android just wanted to kill Gohan once and for all. The other one might not have been interested."

"I doubt she wouldn't be. Wouldn't she want to see him die with her own eyes? I think that Android Seventeen has some sort of vendetta against Gohan."

"What makes you think that? How do you know my explanation isn't correct? Haven't you heard of accepting the simplest answer?"

"With anything involving a saiyan, or in Gohan's case, half saiyan, it's always more complicated than it seems. I've learned that from my experiences with Goku. For example, we originally thought Goku was just a peculiar human, when in fact, he was a saiyan who was sent to Earth to eliminate all life."

"I see your point," replied Oolong in a somewhat annoyed voice. "Let's just wait until he wakes up. Then we can ask him ourselves."

Roshi nodded in agreement. "Why don't we go downstairs? I sense Bulma and Trunks approaching."

Roshi and Oolong went downstairs where Puar was watching television. Oolong told Puar that Bulma and Trunks were on the way, and they both went into the kitchen to get food and tea ready. Roshi turned off the TV and sat on the couch, deep in thought.

* * *

Trunks and Bulma were approaching the island in a small aircraft. They still weren't sure if the androids could detect power levels and decided not to take any chances. They were both looking forward to visiting Kame house since it had been a long time since their last visit.

Trunks, however, was more anxious about Gohan being there. He didn't tell his mother anything, but he could sense Gohan, and knew about the state he was in. _When we get there, I'll have to ask Master Roshi some questions._

When they landed, Roshi's turtle was waiting outside to greet them. "Hello Bulma, it's nice to see you and Trunks."

"Likewise Turtle," replied Bulma.

Trunks acknowledged Turtle as well. The three of them then went inside where they were greeted by Roshi, Oolong, and Puar. The talking cat and pig had already prepared tea and snacks. As they sat at the table, Bulma seemed lost in conversation with Oolong and Puar about the old days.

Trunks noticed that Master Roshi wasn't joining in like he usually would. _I wonder why he's been so quiet. He hasn't even tried to touch my mom yet. Does it have something to do with Gohan?_

Roshi was shaken from his thoughts by Trunks. "Huh? Is something wrong Trunks?"

"Yeah, can I talk with you…away from mom?"

Roshi nodded seriously and led Trunks back into the living room. They sat on the couch facing the TV, and Roshi turned to Trunks, ready for his question.

"I sensed Gohan on the way here. I know he's upstairs, but I didn't tell mom."

"That's good. We don't need her knowing just yet. She and Chichi both have enough to worry about."

"So do you know what happened? I'm sure the androids did this, but how did Gohan end up here?"

"Oolong and I went to the abandoned city where Gohan had nearly been killed by the androids, to find out exactly what went on. Turns out that there weren't any living people around for miles so Gohan's story of the locals saving him doesn't make any sense…although, they could've migrated from that region."

Trunks nodded. "So what was Gohan doing there again?"

"Android Seventeen had set a trap for him there. We were lucky enough to hide the ship and ourselves until the battle ended. We don't know why Seventeen would lure Gohan to a fight there, but I suspect that he has some sort of grudge against him."

"Wait, so Eighteen wasn't there helping him? That's odd. The androids usually attack together."

"I was thinking the same thing. It might not mean much though. Maybe she just wasn't interested. However, Seventeen was the one who wanted to get the job dine. That's why he was there to do it, with or without Eighteen's help."

"I guess we'll have to wait until Gohan wakes up. Chichi called my mom earlier today and said she was worried about Gohan. I also sensed Gohan back at the place where he had been before he returned home. This is all so strange."

"We're definitely missing something," said Roshi, "but only Gohan can fill in the details."

* * *

Eighteen wiped the tears away from her eyes as she sat back up. _Okay. It's time to go back. I've cried enough._

She entered the bathroom and washed her face clean of all evidence that she had been crying. The only thing she would show anyone was her blank facial mask. Tucking the loose hair behind her ear, she exited her hideout and flew back towards the home she shared with her brother.

She doubted that Seventeen would worry about her absence. He thought he already knew everything that had gone on during her previous disappearances, and probably figured that everything would be okay once he had killed Gohan.

She clenched her at the thought of what her brother had done. _That idiot! Why couldn't he use the brain of his? He could've at least been more curious instead just killing Gohan._

When the house came into view, she could see her brother standing outside, as if he had been ready to leave. He noticed her approach and turned to her with a smile.

"Good to see you're all right Eighteen," said Seventeen as she landed in front of him.

"I was fine," replied Eighteen.

"Don't tell me you're still stuck over me eliminating him."

"Just shut up and tell me what we're going to do."

He raised his hands to calm her down. "Alright, fine. Let's go terrorize a city."

"Let's get going then." Eighteen took up, followed by Seventeen. Even though she seemed to be returning to her former self, Eighteen felt as if there was an empty void. She had washed away all the pain and sadness after crying her eyes out. Now she felt nothing at all. She wasn't upset or sad, but she could never be happy either.

Killing people didn't have quite the excitement that it used to. There was no more joy in killing, in fact, killing people felt just as dull as standing around. It might've been different if a worthy opponent had shown up, but her brother had apparently killed Gohan and nobody else would ever be foolish enough to come and challenge them.

Her brother never took notice since he was too busy enjoying himself and the fact that Eighteen was killing people again. He would've seen through her mask if the blood and gore hadn't drowned it all out.

However, as the population thinned and the yelling died down, Seventeen noticed a change in her. She used to laugh as much as he would. In fact, the blood and gore always made her smile, but now, she was stoic and neutral to the situation.

"You're still not yourself."

Eighteen turned to her brother with fake annoyed expression. "Why would you say that?"

"You're not enjoying this as much as you're supposed to."

"Aren't I allowed to have an off day?"

He shrugged it off. "Yeah, I suppose so, but I still don't like it."

"Then that's your problem." Eighteen's comment sounded rude, which made her brother smile.

"Look's like someone's getting her attitude back," replied Seventeen.

"Let's just go home," replied Eighteen. She then took off without waiting for Seventeen to follow.

* * *

I hope you all enjoy this chapter.


	14. A Half Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Gohan heard the voices, only this time, they were clearer. _Master Roshi…and Trunks? What are they doing here…wait a minute; they must've brought me back somewhere. I'm either at Capsule Corp, or Kame House. If I were at home, mom wouldn't let anyone near me in this condition._

His eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness. Sure enough, Master Roshi and Trunks were sitting around him, talking. He immediately recognized this as Kame House since it looked nothing like the medical bay he would wake up in at Capsule Corp.

"Look, he's awake."

"Gohan, are you feeling alright?" asked a concerned Trunks.

"I'm mostly fine now Trunks," replied Gohan with a smile. "Just need some time to recover, that's all."

"So what happened out there?" asked Master Roshi. "Oolong and I saw you getting beaten up by Android Seventeen. If we hadn't been so well hidden, neither of us would be here right now."

"We think that he might have a grudge against you," added Trunks.

"A grudge?" Gohan played dumb, though he knew exactly why Seventeen had attacked him. Then another mystery presented itself. "Why were you and Oolong in at that place anyway?"

"We came there looking for answers. You mysteriously disappeared for a short period of time after you fought the androids there. Then, we see you getting beaten up by Seventeen in the exact same place."

"Gohan, no one could've found you out in a destroyed city like that. It was in the middle of nowhere…or at least away from any of the other pockets of civilization."

Gohan found himself in a tough spot. He didn't think either of them was ready for the truth, especially Trunks. The poor boy would be devastated if he found out that his hero had spent the night with one of the androids.

Roshi seemed to sense Gohan's trouble and decided to calm him down. "Don't worry Gohan. We'll hear you out, and we won't tell your mom or Bulma," he turned to Trunks for confirmation. "Right Trunks?"

Trunks nodded. "Right, in fact, neither of them knows that you're here and Oolong and Puar won't be telling them either."

Gohan took a deep breath. _I still don't want to tell Trunks about her, but I'm sure Master Roshi would understand. I'll tell them a half-truth, and then approach Master Roshi later._

"Well Gohan?" asked Roshi.

"You were right, I wasn't found by any local inhabitants. It was the androids who let me live."

Trunks' eyes widened. "They let you live?"

Master Roshi's reaction was subdued and masked by his beard and sunglasses.

Gohan nodded grimly. "Korin gave the last senzu beans he had. If he hadn't, I would've died from the injuries. I was lucky enough to eat one, but the effects weren't instant, so I passed out. I then woke up some time later, but my power was still drained. The town was abandoned, but I was still able to find adequate shelter. Thankfully, there was plenty of non-perishable food left there. The people who previously lived there probably abandoned it because it was too heavy."

Trunks seemed to accept the truth. "I get it. You said that in front of your mom so she wouldn't worry so much."

Gohan nodded. "By the way, speaking of moms, does yours know that you're here?"

Trunks' eyes widened. "Oh! She'll kill me if she found out that I came here on my own."

"Don't worry Trunks," said Master Roshi. "You'll have plenty of time to get back. Just remember to travel carefully and keep your power suppressed whenever possible."

"I will, bye Gohan, bye Master Roshi." Trunks ran downstairs and left the building.

Roshi then turned to Gohan with a serious expression. "Now why don't you tell me the real truth Gohan? You only said that in front of Trunks so he wouldn't worry."

Gohan wasn't surprised, he suspected that Roshi would see through his lie, but also knew that he would be more patient and understanding than Trunks. "Alright, the real truth. Seventeen left killing me up to Eighteen, but she decided to take me to…some sort of secret base of hers instead. She did this without Seventeen's knowledge, and that's why he was angry at me."

"But why would Android Eighteen let you live, let alone take you back to a place she didn't even tell her brother about?"

"She originally intended to rape me, and then kill me. However, I was able to get under her skin."

If Gohan was talking about any other female, Roshi would've had a nosebleed, but when it came to the female android, he was always serious. "So what happened next?"

"We became closer." He looked away, as if he were ashamed. "She and her brother aren't true androids. They're cyborgs. They started out as humans, but Gero kidnapped them and turned them into cyborgs. That event traumatized her. I tried to help her recover her humanity…and get her to give up killing people, much like Vegeta did."

"Sounds like something your father would do," said Roshi. "He would be proud."

"You think so?"

He nodded. "Your father wouldn't blindly kill someone. Vegeta probably slaughtered more people than the androids ever will, and yet he was able to change his ways."

Gohan acknowledged his statement, and then continued. "Seventeen became agitated by the fact that Eighteen was spending more time with me than killing people with him. Off course, he didn't really know what Eighteen was doing, but he still didn't like it. Anyway, Eighteen became afraid of him…more for me than for her. Seventeen really seems like a brat. He's not evil like Freeza. Just a brat who happens to have power and throws his own version of a tantrum when things don't go according to plan."

"I see, so that's how you came home. Eighteen wanted to keep you at her place longer, but let you go for fear that her brother would follow her there and kill you."

"Yes, but during another android attack, one where she was present, we…" Gohan turned away again, a light blush appeared on his face. "We decided to meet back up at her place again, and I spent the night with her, though we didn't do anything sexual."

"Wow…" Instead of a perverted remark, Roshi opted for a normal, sincere smile. "I can see why Bulma, Trunks, or your mother shouldn't know about this."

Gohan's face darkened. "But Seventeen somehow found the place…or at least happened upon a nearby area. All I know is that he somehow found out the truth. He pretended to attack a city, but it turned out to be the very city you found me in. He was just doing that to lure me there, and you know the rest."

"There is one important detail that I'm not clear on though."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, as he was genuinely confused. "What would that be? I told you every important detail of the story."

"Do you love her?"

"What?"

"You've been very vague about your relationship with her. I know there's some chemistry there, but is it more than just a crush. Do you actually have feelings for her"

Gohan's eyes widened. "I honestly don't know…I never thought about that…I just acted on my gut instincts."

"Then you must ponder that. It'll give you something to work for as you recover. Try and find the answer to that question. It will become important in the long run."

Gohan smiled at the wise old man. "Thanks Master Roshi. Thanks for hearing me out and understanding."

"Well you are Goku's son, and prone to making the impossible possible. I'll always give you the benefit of the doubt until you give me a reason not to." He got up to leave. "Now get some rest. I'll come back with dinner later."

"Thanks." With Roshi gone, Gohan was free to drift off into his own thoughts. The first thing they wandered back to was his guilt, and his father. _Are you really proud of me dad? I lied…not just a white lie. It was a significant lie to those closest to me. I know I told Roshi, but I lied to Trunks. He trusted me, and looked up to me, and I lied. Was it really the right thing to do, or was it worth it if it meant that he could have piece of mind?_

Gohan decided not to dwell on this though. Master Roshi, perhaps the person his father respected most, had approved of his decision not to tell Trunks. Perhaps, in this case, lying was the correct decision. However, there was another issue that came to mind. What happened to Eighteen? Seventeen found out about them, ad decided to attack Gohan, but did he also do something to his own sister? Did he punish her in some way?

Gohan clenched his fists. _He'd better not hurt her! Darn it! I'm just too weak! I can't stop him, even if I was at full health. Why haven't I gotten stronger? In fact, I think I'm getting weaker. My body couldn't take as much punishment from Seventeen as it could in the fight against Eighteen._

At first, Gohan had thought he had simply reached his limit, or needed something extreme to push him further, but the moment he had felt his power become weaker, he had realized that it was something else altogether. For some reason, his body was simply unable to handle the power he had gained. He remembered what had happened, or what Eighteen had said happened, When she broke his heart.

_My power…what is it? It's there…I know it can beat him, but I just can't use it. Was it a one-time boost, or…wait a minute! My body broke down after I ascended to that higher level. Maybe that has something to do with my lack of progress. Why though? I have saiyan blood! Shouldn't my body be able to adapt to higher levels of power? What's going on? That rule seemed to work during the early years of the androids' reign, so why has my progress slowed?_

Gohan wanted to get up. He wanted to go downstairs and discuss this issue with Master Roshi, but he knew that he couldn't. His body was still broken, and he needed to rest. He knew that he would heal fairly quickly, and that plenty of sleep would only help. Calming his kind, he slowed his breathing, allowing sleep to take him easily.

* * *

Eighteen sat on the living room couch with a bored expression, staring at a blank TV screen, and seemingly oblivious to the environment around her.

"Hey sis, you look like a zombie." Seventeen gave her an amused smile.

"What's it to you?" Her rudeness didn't faze her brother; in fact, he still saw it as a sign that she was returning to her former self.

"Just curious though, you've been…quiet, in fact, you didn't complain when I destroyed that clothing store."

"What's your point?" She didn't feel like talking to him. All she wanted right now was to sit here. The empty feeling inside was like a void, which swallowed up all of her desires.

"I know that you're not back to your old self." Seventeen narrowed his eyes at her. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to tell me what's eating you?"

"No!" She turned to him with a fierce glare. "You've done enough for me already! Just leave me alone!" Getting up from her spot on the couch, she stormed past him and out the door.

He followed her outside, curiosity getting the better of him. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you! Just leave me alone!" She didn't look at him once as she lifted into the air and flew away.

Seventeen growled in frustration as he clenched his fists. _She's still under his spell. I'll have to convince her that he isn't important. Since he's dead, I might have some freedom to speak for him._ A cruel smile formed on his face. _Maybe if I tell his friends and family the truth. That could be fun. Since he's dead, he won't be able to defend himself. They'll probably curse him and her. Her anger against the humans will return, and we can get back on track.

* * *

_

When Trunks returned home, he decided to enter the building through his open room window. He was immediately greeted by a throat clearing, and turned to see his mother sitting on his bed with a frown.

"Oh…hi mom…I was just…"

"You were off being reckless, weren't you?"

He shook his head. "No, I was careful to lay low and avoid any place where the androids might attack."

"You could've accidently run into them Trunks! Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Trunks looked down, ashamed of what he ha put his mother through. "I just got a call from Chichi, and she said that Gohan had already gone missing again. When I realized you were gone, I hope I wouldn't end up the way she was."

"I…I'm sorry mom. I was worried about Gohan too, so I went back to Master Roshi's to see if he could sense him."

"So did he sense him?" She seemed genuinely curious, and forgot about reprimanding her son.

Trunks didn't want to worry his mother, but he also didn't want to tell her that he had actually spoken with Gohan. "He can sense Gohan. Gohan's fine, he's surviving on his own somewhere. His power level is nowhere near it's maximum, but he could easily fend for himself. He should be okay."

"That's a relief," replied Bulma with a sigh. "Why don't we have dinner now. It's getting late, and you should be getting hungry."

"Okay mom."

They both went downstairs to begin preparing dinner. Bulma, however, had something else on her mind. _I know you were lying to me Trunks, but I also know that there must be some reason behind it. You're my son, and I can tell when there's something on your mind. I won't press you on the details, but I hope you come out in the open and tell me soon._

"Hey mom, can we have grilled cheese sandwiches again, those are my favorites."

"All right Trunks," replied Bulma with a smile as she saw her son's excitement. Whatever was going on could wait until tomorrow. After all, they had to squeeze out what little joy they could get in these tough times.

* * *

I'm going to keep Gohan in bed for a chapter or two more. I'll also start getting into his power and why he seems to be getting weaker. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.


	15. Slander

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Seventeen smirked when Capsule Corp. came into view. _Perfect. Now I can tell them the truth…well, my truth. I never thought I'd ever be thanking Gohan. Now I can use him to destroy his own friends and the human race._

He couldn't sense power levels, but he knew that they would be home. These days, nobody ever wandered out of home for fun. Even if no one was home, Seventeen knew where all of the Z-Fighter hangouts were. He had options and knew that he didn't need to tell Bulma and Trunks first to get the message around.

Landing in the front lawn, he casually walked up to the door and knocked as if he were a welcome guest. His smirked broadened when Bulma, accompanied by Trunks, answered the door. Their faces were priceless, just as he had imagined them. The look was a combination of shock, and horror, which he had come to revel in.

Bulma snapped out of it and stepped in front of Trunks protectively. She didn't care that her son was much stronger than her. _This android could kill us both without any effort. Why's he here though, and where's the other one? Is this another one of their games?_

"Hello Bulma," said Seventeen casually.

"What do you want android?" said Trunks rudely as he struggled to see around his mother.

Seventeen chuckled. "That's quite a kid you've got there."

"Get to the point android!" Bulma wasn't in the mood for games. Chichi had been worried about Gohan and both women were now under stress, especially since Bulma was working on her time machine project. "If you're going to kill us, why don't you get it over with?"

Seventeen shrugged. "Fine, if you're both in such a hurry to die, I might honor your request. I just thought you'd both be interested in how Gohan's doing."

Trunks clenched his fists, though nobody took notice. _I'll bet he thinks Gohan's dead and is here to gloat about it! Wait till he sees Gohan back in action! He'll be in for a shock!_

"What's happened to Gohan?" Bulma was now interested. "What've you done to him?"

Seventeen gave them a malicious grin, causing Bulma to go white. "He's dead. I killed him." He chuckled as he saw her covering her mouth. "However, I would've let him live if it hadn't been for something he did. It made me very angry with him."

Curiosity got the better of Bulma. "What did he do?"

Seventeen continued to grin as he explained the story he had been concocting on his flight here. "It all started with that battle. Remember, the one where he went missing for several days."

Bulma gulped in preparation. She knew that she wouldn't like what he would tell them. Trunks, however, simply raised an eyebrow. Gohan had told him two alternate stories of what had happened to him after that battle. This would be the third one.

"You see, he probably told you that some local people saved him when he came home to you," he could tell that he was correct from the look on her face. "Well that's a lie, though I can understand why he would."

"What do you mean?" asked Bulma. "Gohan would never lie to us!"

"I'm sure he wouldn't." Seventeen paused to make sure they were listening before he continued. "The truth was, it was my sister who saved him."

Bulma and Trunks were shocked. Not that they believed him, but the thought of Eighteen saving Gohan was unimaginable for them. Their jaws dropped as they waited for Seventeen to continue.

"Now this is where it gets juicy." Seventeen noted with glee that Bulma and Trunks shuddered when he said 'juicy'. "After Eighteen rescued him, she took him somewhere, and began visiting him a lot. In fact, she visited him so often that she didn't have time to got out and kill people with me."

"Why'd she do that?" Trunks couldn't tell if the android was lying, and knew better than to trust him, bit he wanted to know Seventeen's side of the story so he could go to Kame House and compare notes with Gohan.

Seventeen smirked. "This might be too much for the little boy to hear, so I'll censor it."

Bulma clenched her fists. _I hate when those two pretend to be nice or considerate. We all know that he's telling us this crazy story for his own amusement._

"She wanted to…well, make babies with him." He got the message across to Bulma while Trunks remained satisfactorily clueless. "However, during their time together, something developed between the two." He made sure to show some bitterness when he said those words, to further emphasize his point. "She let him go because she had successfully converted him anyway."

Bulma raise an eyebrow. "Converted?"

"He disregarded any hatred he had for her before. He was now hers, and he even went back to her and spent the night with her. He wanted her all to himself." He smirked broadly at Bulma's disgusted look, knowing full well that it was directed him and not at Gohan. "I was able to find out where they were and that's how I found out about this whole mess. Gohan thought he could take my sister from me, but he was wrong."

Bulma felt her blood boil as she processed what the android had told her. "How dare you? You've done all sorts of horrible things to this planet, and I will not allow you to ruin Gohan's reputation! I refuse to believe any of these lives so if you're going to go around spreading rumors, you might as well go somewhere else!"

Seventeen narrowed his eyes. _I don't like it when people stand up to me; then again, it's amusing to seeing these humans defend each other._

"Are you finish here," asked Bulma as she glared at Seventeen.

Seventeen shrugged, maintaining a calm exterior. "Well I suppose I can't convince you, so I have to further need to be here." He turned around and walked away. "Next time, you'd be wise to hold your tongue. You're lucky I was in a forgiving mood today."

Bulma sighed in relief as she watched the android flying off. _I'm surprised…I thought for sure that Trunks and I were done for. Why didn't he kill us? Maybe…did he kill Gohan? Is he just waiting for us to find out the hard way?_

Trunks yanked at his mother's pants to get her attention. "Hey mom, why do you think he told us that? Did he want us to hate Gohan or something?"

"He probably wanted to take away our hope," replied Bulma as she patted Trunks. "However, I am worried about Gohan. He's been gone for a while and the android might've killed him, though I hope he didn't."

"He didn't mom, I'm sure of it."

"That's my boy. Why don't we have some tea? It'll help calm our nerves." She led Trunks inside.

* * *

Gohan sat up in bed with a sad expression. He was having a hard time figuring himself out. _I just can't stop thinking about her. I know I care for her, but I don't really know how much. Do I really love her? Does she really love me?_

He had regained the ability to move about, though he was by no means ready to fight again. He would often raid the fridge in the hopes that a snack would take his mind off her. The truth was, he had gotten used to seeing her, and the fact that he couldn't see her now weighed heavily on his mind. Despite al his efforts, his mind would be plagued with thoughts about her, and about what she truly thought of him.

Downstairs, Master Roshi was watching the news, when he heard a knock at the door. Cautiously creeping up to it, he eyed the small viewing hole, and was relieved to see that it was Korin. Opening the door, he gave his old friend a smile.

"It's nice to see you Korin. I'm so glad that you're still alive."

"The androids never really thought to go to the region where my tower is. It had too much forest for them. The land of Korin is a rural area, and they prefer to hit the big cities and technologically advanced towns."

Roshi nodded in response. "So, to what do I owe this visit?"

"Isn't it obvious? I came here to check up on Gohan. I'm well aware of his power issue and I'm sure he's told you about it."

"He mentioned it a few times when we brought him some food. Said something about not being able to get any stronger."

"Yes, well I came here to get to the bottom of this. Gohan has plenty of motivation to get stronger, so it couldn't be that. His body should also be able to handle a lot more power than he currently has, so I thought that was worth looking into."

Roshi led Korin upstairs and they both greeted Gohan. Korin then explained what he was about to do.

"Gohan, I have a theory about what's been happening to you. I'm going to examine you, or more precisely, the ki channels and internal organs."

"Are my insides messed up?"

"Perhaps, but there's only one way to be sure." Closing his eyes, Korin raised his glowing palm over Gohan and moved it back and forth.

* * *

Chichi heard a knock at the door. Rushing to it with her father in tow, she opened the door, hoping that her son was on the other side. She nearly fainted at the sight of the android that stood smirking at the other end of the threshold.

"Hello, you must be Gohan's mother and grandfather."

Chichi's temper immediately flared up at his tone. "What do you want android?"

Seventeen shrugged. "I just came her to tell you what's become of your son."

Chichi clenched her fists and moments later, slapped the android. However, it proved ineffective as Seventeen didn't budge and only smirked at her efforts. "Tell me! What've you done to my son?"

With a malicious grin, Seventeen proceeded to tell the same story that he had told Bulma and Trunks. He noted, with glee, the outraged expression on Chichi's face as well as the shocked and disbelieving expression on the Ox King's. When he was done, he stepped aside as Chichi fell forwards.

Seventeen let out a light chuckled. "Guess it was a bit too much for her to handle."

"That story isn't true," said the Ox King defiantly. "Gohan's still alive and he would never do something like that. You're crazy if you thought we'd believe you."

"We'll see who believes who soon enough. I'll leave you to think on what I told you. When weeks pass and Gohan fails to return to you…well you get the idea. By then you'll know that what I said is true."

As he left the small house, Seventeen felt somewhat disappointed. He had hoped to provoke some doubt in Gohan's family and friends, but wasn't entirely disheartened at his failure. They still believed he was alive, which meant that they would find out that he was telling the truth, once Gohan failed to come back.

Then, a devious and malicious grin appeared on his face. _So what if they didn't believe me, Eighteen doesn't have to know that. I'll just tell her that Gohan's friends have come to hate him, after I told them the truth. She'll get upset with them and want revenge._

Seventeen had begrudgingly admitted, to himself, that his sister cared for Gohan. He also knew that she would be outraged at the humans for turning on Gohan because of his romantic preferences, and the only way she'd know to express this anger would be by beating them up or worse.

When Seventeen returned home, he found Eighteen sitting on the couch of their living room. She was watching cartoons on the TV with a bored expression. Taking notice of him briefly, she quickly directed her attention back to the TV, as if she had no interest in him.

"Hey sis, I have some news for you."

"Really? What is it?" Her tone remained indifferent and monotonous.

"I've just spoken with Gohan's family and friends."

Now she was interested. _Why would Seventeen go looking for those people. He usually had no interest in them. He never even bothered to track them down and the only reason we attacked west city was because of its high population density._

"You see, I told them all about you and Gohan." He smirked as she turned to him, her face showing interest for the first time. "They were all furious with him. Chichi even said that she only wished Gohan were still alive so she could ground him for life."

Eighteen shook her head. "They don't really seem like those kinds of people."

"Really? Just because we have files on them doesn't mean that we have them all figured out Eighteen. They're very judgmental people and will only accept a former enemy into their ranks if their god, Goku, accepts it. With Goku out of the picture, they looked at us with a completely closed mind and the fact that Gohan even associated himself with you made them turn on him."

Eighteen clenched her fists. "But Gohan is Goku's son, how could they turn on him! I don't think it's true."

"Well that depends. Even though he's Goku's son, many of his friends believed that only Goku himself truly had the power to defeat us. They don't consider him on par with Goku and now their angry, just because he thought you were different."

"How do I know you're not telling me this to get me angry with them?"

"Don't you trust me Eighteen. I've never turned on you like that. Gohan was my enemy, but I didn't lay a finger on you for have a relationship with him. In fact, I would've let you have your way with him if he hadn't tried to change you."

"He helped me rediscover my human emotions!"

"Then tell me Eighteen, what are your emotions telling you right now? Aren't they urging you to get revenge on them for abandoning Gohan?"

She shook her head. "Gohan wouldn't like it if I did that. Sorry, but I won't get roped into this."

Seventeen shrugged casually. "Suit yourself Eighteen." However, his thoughts were different. _Damn you Gohan! Damn you and all your friends. And now my own sister won't listen to me! She'd still choose you over me! It's a good thing I eliminated you so she won't be able to make that choice._

Plopping down on his bed, Seventeen let out a disgruntled sigh. _I know Eighteen will come back to me eventually, but how long will it take. Surely Gohan's influence can't last forever. Besides, it might be good to lay off killing more humans for now, and let them regrow. Ack! Who am I kidding! I want her back now!_

Lying back on the bed, Seventeen decided to get some sleep, then, another train of thought crept into his mind. Eighteen only came to care for Gohan because she originally wanted to rape him. If she ever got such an urge again, there was a chance that this entire chain of events could be repeated.

* * *

Sorry for not updating in so long, I was on a trip in europe with my family, but now I'm back. As a heads up, I might not update this for a few weeks since my next semester in college has begun, and I want to update my other fanfiction stories and fictionpress stories. I hope you enjoy this chapter though.


	16. The Source of the Problem

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Korin let out a grim sigh as he took his hand away from Gohan, shaking his head. _It's far worse than I thought. He's completely cut off._

Gohan looked worried as he saw Korin's grim expression. "So what's going on Korin? Please, give it to me straight."

"It's bad Gohan. Your internal organs are messed up. In fact, the mess has gotten worse over time as you kept fighting and nearly dying against the androids."

"But I always made sure I was at one hundred percent before I went out to fight them. I know I'm not a full saiyan, so I would always make absolutely sure."

"However, your saiyan blood means that you'd get stronger after suffering injuries, not just after training. You should've waited until you were at one hundred and twenty percent." Korin began stroking his beard. "Remember what I told you about the senzu beans?" Gohan nodded. "As the population of the planet dwindled, it would've taken longer for a senzu bean to heal you. Maybe you did wait for the correct amount of time initially, but as time progressed, you should've taken longer and longer breaks to compensate for their lack of healing ability."

"But I don't understand. What does this have to do with my lack of power?"

"It's not that you're not powerful Gohan. On paper, you could destroy the androids a thousand times over. The internal damage to your organs and ki channels, which has built up over time, has drastically reduced the amount of power your body can handle. As a result, your bodies own survival mechanism has been restricting the amount of power you can use for your own safety. If something were to happen that would force out any extra power…well, you could die or get seriously injured."

Gohan began feeling guilty. He realized that this entire situation was preventable. "Sorry Korin. I should've stayed home like you suggested, instead of running off like that. If I had listened to you instead of always rushing off to fight then-"

"That's enough Gohan," said Master Roshi. "You don't need to apologize. We all understand the decisions you made. Besides, your actions have somewhat reduced the number android attacks and recently, the death rate has been declining. What we need to know is if your power issue can be fixed." He turned to Korin for an answer.

Korin began fiddling with his whiskers. "It's possible, but it could take weeks. I'll need Roshi's, and Popo's help, but I'm sure we can do it. We can begin whenever you're ready Gohan."

"Alright," said Gohan. "I can do it now…but where will this take place. I hardly think Kame house is appropriate for…this kind of surgery."

"You're correct Gohan. The only place where we can do this is the lookout. We'll have to leave as soon as possible. Can you fly?" Gohan nodded. "Good, then we can all go together."

It only took a few minutes for Master Roshi to tell Oolong and Puar what the plan was. The two agreed to lay low and be ready to hide in case the androids arrived. They then left, with Korin flying atop one of his many nimbus clouds, while Gohan carried Master Roshi.

For the first time in a while, Gohan felt vulnerable. Even though he had learned to be strong in the face of superior threats, his current weakness and the fact that he was still technically injured meant that he didn't really know what he could and couldn't do, which disturbed him.

It didn't take long for them reach the land of Korin. The sight of the intact forest always held a calming air for Gohan and he thanked the universe that the androids hadn't thought to come after Korin Tower. Once they reached the tower, it would be a straight shot up to the lookout.

However they didn't expect to be followed. Eighteen had left the house she shared with her brother to go off and find a place where she could relax. She had found a stretch of forest where nobody would likely find or bother her. Her eyes widened as her highly tuned senses detected some flight above her.

_Who'd be flying around here?_ She looked up and saw two figures in flight. One was flying on a nimbus cloud, and the other was carrying a third person on his back. Her mouth gaped as she recognized him. _G-Gohan! He's still alive! Seventeen didn't kill him!_

Her human self wanted to cry, but the android wouldn't have any of it. Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, she slowly rose into the air and followed the two. She wanted to know where they were going before she confronted them.

Soon they were at the tower and heading up towards the lookout. Mr. Popo had sensed their approach and was waiting for them outside the palace. He greeted them with a friendly smile when they appeared in front of him.

"It's good to see that you're okay," said Mr. Popo. He then turned to Korin. "So…have you brought him here for the surgery?"

Korin nodded. "Gohan's internal damage is worse than I thought. It's best if we begin as soon as possible, before he has to go out and fight again."

The situation felt weird for Eighteen. She wasn't used to sneaking around and trying to avoid detection, however, she knew that showing herself to Gohan in front of his friends could cause problems.

Her heart began to beat like it had the last time they had been together. _It's him…he's okay._ Seeing him alive was good enough for now, and so Eighteen decided to leave. She slowly descended from the lookout and landed in the forest below, but was shocked when Gohan phased in front of her. He seemed shocked, though not as shocked as she was.

Gohan's shocked expression quickly turned to a look of confusion. "You were following us?"

She nodded. "So how did you know I was there?"

Gohan wagged his finger in front of her. "Just because I can't sense your energy doesn't mean I can't use my other senses to find you. I knew someone was here…I just didn't expect it would be you. So how are you right now?"

Eighteen knew that Master Roshi, Korin, and Mr. Popo weren't watching. She clenched her fists as her emotions welled back up; she was fighting back tears of joy. "How am I? My brother…told me he'd killed you! How'd you think I felt?"

In spite of her seemingly harsh tone, Gohan could tell that her voice was wavering. Walking up to her, he put his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "Sorry about any trouble I caused you. I've been recovering at Kame House."

"Did you know that Seventeen went around telling your friends about us?" She'd reigned in her emotions, though her voice was still softer than normal.

Gohan's eyes widened. "I didn't. He didn't come to Kame house, so I had no way of knowing. Trunks…the little kid with lavender hair, he knew that I was alive, and he didn't confront me about this at all."

"That's because nobody believed Seventeen. Like they ever would though. However...we can't hide this forever. If you keep coming to see me, your friends are bound to figure something out."

"I told Master Roshi about us," said Gohan. "Don't worry…he understands, though I haven't shared this with Trunks or anyone else."

Eighteen looked away with an uncertain expression before turning back to him. "While I was eavesdropping, I heard that Popo guy mention some sort of surgery. Is something wrong with your body…are you still injured? I heard Korin also mention some internal damage."

Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm technically injured…it's hard to explain, but I've been injured for several years now. I've just never known about it."

"Is that why you've had trouble increasing your power?"

"Yes…" An uncharacteristic smirk then formed on his face, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Eighteen. "It's strange, but I should actually be thankful that things went down this way."

"Why? If you hadn't been injured you probably would've saved the world several years ago."

"But I wouldn't have ever gotten to know you, and we wouldn't be standing here today." His expression then became semi-serious. "I used to wish that I could change history, but now…I guess I've realized that the universe always unravels the way it was meant to. It may seem like a nightmare at first, but things will always turn out for the better."

She raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Wow…I never expected that kind of wisdom to come out of your mouth. What happened to the naïve young man I was trying to manipulate?"

He chuckled at her teasing tone, before becoming serious again. "I better get going now. I'm going to get my insides fixed so I'll be able to use my full power." Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on her lips before stepping back. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Eighteen became worried. _He's going to challenge Seventeen?_ "I don't think it's a good idea. He might still be too strong for you."

"I'll take that chance. Besides, I won't fight him if he surrenders peacefully." Her expression didn't waver. "I'm confident in my abilities. You don't have to let him bully you. I'm sure we'll at least be able to stop him together."

"If he somehow finds out about this, he'll try and interrupt the surgery."

"Goodbye, and don't worry." Gohan simply gave her and thumbs up and flew back up.

Eighteen stared upwards with an annoyed expression before turning away and blushing. _Good luck Gohan. I hope you and Seventeen can settle things peacefully.

* * *

_

Seventeen flew out of the latest in a string of ruined cities. His paranoia of Eighteen falling for another man had driven him to make killing the attractive men a priority.

When he returned home, he saw his sister entering their house. She didn't know that he was watching, and though he couldn't believe his eyes, she looked happy. _Why does she have a spring in her step? I didn't expect her to get over Gohan so soon._

When he got inside, he saw her sitting on the couch, like she had been for the past few days, acting as if nothing of particular interest had happened. However, Seventeen could still see through his sister's charades and knew that she was in a better mood than she had been in days.

"So what's going on Eighteen?" She turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't give me that look. I can tell that your mood's improved."

"It's nothing Seventeen. I just decided that I'm not going to be unhappy anymore."

Seventeen crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. You're glowing compared to where you were yesterday. In fact, you weren't nearly this happy when I saw you in the morning."

"Hmph!" Eighteen gave Seventeen an annoyed look and stood back up. _I hope this works._ "I don't need to explain myself to you. If you can't accept the fact that I became happy on my own, then that's your own problem. My happiness doesn't have to depend on someone else."

Seventeen grabbed her arm as she started going upstairs. "Hold it! I know that you're lying to me! Tell me, who's your knew boyfriend?"

"Let me go!" She tried to pull her arm, but found that his grip was too strong. He had no intention of letting her go. "I don't have a new boyfriend!"

Seventeen could tell that she wasn't lying, but also felt that he was only hearing half the truth. "There's something you're not telling me."

"We have to keep some secrets, don't we?" A shocked expression crossed her face as her head jerked sideways. Feeling him release her arm, she brought it to her bruise cheek and stroked it gently. _He hit me! I never thought he'd ever hit me!_

Seventeen took a step back. _I hit her…She's my sister…but she had to know that I mean business._ "I won't tolerate anymore smugness from you Eighteen. Next time, you'd be wise to tell me the truth."

Eighteen was taken aback by Seventeen's actions, though she still spoke her mind. "I'm your older sister. You have no right to order me around." She then marched upstairs, leaving her brother to dwell on his own thoughts.

Seventeen clenched his fists, and letting out an angry growl, he stormed out of the house. He knew that he was missing something. _Let's see…Gohan manipulated Eighteen, so I killed Gohan. She then fell into some sort of depression, but now she's back up. She wouldn't warm up to a guy this quickly…they'd have to have some amazing chemistry for that to happen._

Seventeen then realized that Eighteen had told the truth, but she had told him that she didn't have a 'new' boyfriend. He could also tell that she had been trying to keep something from him.

He became frustrated as he tried to make sense of this paradox in her behavior. _Why would she have something to hide if she didn't have a new boyfriend…new boyfriend!_ His mind clicked as an idea came back to him. Making his way back to the site where he had killed Gohan, he began searching for the body. _Gohan should've bleed to death since there was no one around to come get him…but where's the body? None of his friends would've known to come find him here, and my sister only knew about it after I got back, so it should've been too late for him by then._ Seventeen ruffled his own hair and grunted in frustration as he combed the entire area, searching for Gohan's remains.

When the search was over, and he hadn't found the body, his frustration had reached a new level. He then put two and two together. Eighteen was hiding something, yet said she didn't have a 'new' boyfriend, and Gohan's body was missing from the area, which led Seventeen to one conclusion.

"HE'S ALIVE!"

* * *

I hope you didn't find Seventeen's thought process annoying, and I'm sure it seemed like a stretch to make such assumptions on his part, but he seems like the kind of person who would jump the gun like that. Also, I hope you clearly understood the explanation for Gohan's power failure. If you didn't I'l explain it here:

Gohan was only able to survive his battles with the androids due to the senzu beans, but as the population dwindled, the beans' ability to heal him diminished. Gohan always thought he was fully healed when his power was back at his previous maximum and failed to account for the fact that it would increase after every battle, and so often fought the androids when there were still some injuries inside him. He didn't detect the injuries and they accumulated over time, messing up hi internal systems, though not in a way that he could know about it. His body wasn't able to handle his full power, so it locked away the vast majority of power Gohan had.

In short: Gohan was stronger than both androids, but because of accumulated injuries, he wasn't able to unleash his full power.


	17. Madness

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

"HE'S ALIVE!" Seventeen's blood boiled as the image of Gohan's smug expression came to mind. _That bastard thinks he's so smart, escaping me for eight years and coming back for more! And now he's corrupted my sister! He's turned her against me!_

As his thoughts wandered to Eighteen, Seventeen began to believe that she now cared about Gohan more so that about him. His mind, clouded by anger and paranoia began imagining a multitude of scenarios where Gohan and Eighteen met in secret and began laughing at his own ignorance.

_Eighteen…my sister! She's with him now! She knows where he's hiding!_ Seventeen took off from the area at full speed, heading towards home. _She will tell me!_

Home came into view within seconds and Seventeen, not bothering to watch his landing, came crashing through the door. The impact didn't faze him as he called out to his sister. "COME OUT HERE NOW EIGHTEEN!"

Though she didn't look it, and wouldn't admit it, Eighteen was worried as she emerged from her room. A short while ago, her brother had hit her for the first time in her life, and now he seemed completely unstable.

She took the calm approach, knowing full well that inciting Seventeen's wrath wasn't a good idea. She spoke calmly, and as if he hadn't just come crashing through the door and yelled at her. "What's up Seventeen, I thought you'd be gone for a while."

"Don't take that tone with me Eighteen!" Seventeen glared up at his sister. She could tell that he felt betrayed about something. "I know that he's alive! GOHAN'S ALIVE!"

Eighteen was shocked and scared. _OH NO! He knows that Gohan's alive! I can't let him find out where he is. Gohan's vulnerable right now and can't defend himself._ She kept up her calm charade. "So what do you want with me?"

"Don't try and hide it Eighteen," replied Seventeen menacingly. "I know you're jumping for joy on the inside!"

"Why would I be jumping for joy?" She then decided to play the part further by glaring back at him. "There's nothing I can do. Even if I wanted to go see him, you'd just kill him. There's no point."

"OH REALLY? Then why is it that he's been able to stay alive for eight years? EIGHT FRIGGIN YEARS! He's hiding from me, but I'm sure you can help me find him." His lips curved into a cruel smirk. "Come on Eighteen. I'm your brother, you can tell me anything." He began walking up the stairs towards her. "I'm only doing this for your own good."

Eighteen took a step back. "I swear that I don't know anything about this."

"Don't lie Eighteen," said Seventeen in a creepily calm voice. "I can tell that you're lying. I know you, and right now, you don't really know yourself. After all, you think you love him. In fact…you think he's more important to you than I am."

"You're jumping the gun there Seventeen," said Eighteen in a nervous tone. "Just because I spoke out against you then, doesn't mean that I don't care about you."

"I know Eighteen," replied Seventeen. "So why don't you tell me what you know?"

"I don't know-"

"ENOUGH!" Seventeen rapidly ascended the stairs until he was at her level. "Tell me where he is."

"I said I don't-"

"Tell me!"

"But I don-"

"TELL ME NOW!"

Her brother's outburst spooked her, and she backed up to the open doorway of her room. "Stop it Seventeen, seriously, you're starting to creep me out."

Seventeen began laughing. It was the same laugh that accompanied the slaughter of humans, though it seemed very creepy and in it's current setting. "That's a good one Eighteen! Me, creep you out…I'm you're brother. Why would I creep you out?" He began walking towards her with a deranged smile.

Eighteen began stepping back into her room. _All right…Seventeen's officially gone off the deep end. Now what am I supposed to do? I can't defeat him if he comes at me._

Seventeen maintained a broad grin as he continued to advance on his sister. "What's wrong Eighteen? Why are you backing away from me? Do I offend you in some way? Why's Gohan so special…what does he give you that I don't?"

When Eighteen was fully in her room, she realized that her brother wouldn't respect her boundaries, and that he could very well hurt her if she didn't spill the beans, which she had no intention of doing. With no other option left, she took her fighting stance. "Stay back!"

Seventeen stopped in his tracks, eyeing her closely. He then began muttering to himself. "What has he done to her? She's not supposed to do that. I'm her brother, she shouldn't tell me to stop." He then phased directly in front of his sister and grabbed her wrists, pinning her arms behind her back. "He will not take you from me!"

Eighteen tried to squirm her way out, but found it to be futile. He was actually holding her with everything he had. He then held her close in a crushing bear hug. "Se-ven-teen! Let me go!"

"He will not come between us! HE WON'T SEPARATE US!"

"Seventeen!"

"Where is he?" Seventeen forced her to look him in the eye. "Where's he hiding? Where are you hiding that son of a bitch?"

"I…don't…know!" With no other option remaining, Eighteen decided that it was do or die. She brought her knee up into his crotch, eliciting a pained grunt. Seventeen released his grip, allowing her to get free.

Knowing that his pain wouldn't last long, and that he would be angrier than ever, Eighteen flew away from that house as fast as she could. She headed for her secret hideout, since heading to the lookout would also bring the risk of her leading Seventeen to Gohan.

She didn't dare to look back, knowing that doing so would slow her down. Seventeen was faster and stronger than her, as well as her superior in aerial combat. He could easily catch up to her in a straight up race, so she knew better than to look back. When she saw the town where her hideout was come into view, she mustered up the courage to turn around. There had been no sign of Seventeen so far, so he couldn't have followed her, unless he thought she would lead to him to Gohan. When she was satisfied that the coast was clear, Eighteen entered the town and made her way to her hideout, panting heavily from the adrenaline rush.

* * *

Gohan felt anxious as he lay back on the operating table. Korin said he wouldn't need to be strapped down or have any sort of anesthetic. He did, however, say that Gohan would go into a death-like state for an hour or so for the procedure. The hybrid didn't know what to make of that statement and hoped that he would come back from this procedure, though Korin and Mr. Popo seemed confident.

"Don't worry Gohan," said Korin. "You'll be fine. Now just relax." Korin then turned to Mr. Popo, who nodded.

Mr. Popo then nodded and placed his hand behind Gohan's he. He channeled ki into the base of Gohan's neck, inducing the death-like state that Korin had told them about. Gohan's body went limp and cold, though his soul didn't cross over into the otherworld.

"So what do we do now?" asked Master Roshi.

"I can see his chi channels and organ's clearly now," said Korin as he began channeling a sea-green energy into his paws. "I'll use this healing energy to remove the damaged parts of his organs. I'll need you to channel your ki into Gohan at certain times so be ready."

Master Roshi nodded. "This'll be tricky, but if anyone can do it, you can."

Korin nodded before turning to Mr. Popo. "Can you see his main ki reservoir? It's where the vast majority of his power is locked away."

"I can…it' very big."

"Can you contain it?"

"I can. I'll make sure it doesn't spill over and cause further damage to his organs."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Korin then used the green energy of his palms to place his hands under Gohan's skin.

* * *

"Someone's at the door," said Puar as he heard a knock. "Should we get it?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not the leader here," said Oolong in a slightly rude tone.

"I'll get it," said Turtle as he hauled himself towards the door.

Oolong felt sorry for the old turtle, so he decided to answer it himself. "Fine, let me." When he opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised to see Trunks. "Hey Trunks. It's great to see you. How are you?"

"I'm fine Oolong," replied Trunks as he smiled. "So how's Gohan doing?"

"He left with the old man and Korin."

Trunks looked disappointed. "I see; I was hoping to ask him something."

"They're at Kami's Lookout. You can go there to ask him."

"Thanks Oolong, I will. Goodbye everyone." Trunks took off from Kame House with a serious expression. _I have to know the truth. I know that android Seventeen was lying, but I need to here Gohan confirm it._

Trunks then stopped, mid-air, as a sense of guilt took over him. _Mom and Chichi are upset because they think Gohan's dead. I…I should tell mom that he's alive, then I can go to the lookout and see if Gohan's there._ Nodding in agreement with himself, Trunks flew towards Capsule Corp.

* * *

I know this chapter wasn't long, but I have the rest of the story pretty much mapped out at this point. The main event of this chapter was Seventeen going insane, and I hope I captured that properly. The other two scenes might've been short, but they'll play a role the coming chapters.


	18. The Truth Spills Out

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

When Trunks reached Capsule Corp, he saw his mother standing in the front yard with a frown on her face. She looked up, and kept her arms crossed as she called out to him. "You better get down here Trunks! You're in big trouble!"

"I know mom," replied Trunks solemnly. "I shouldn't have worried you like that, but there's something important that you need to know first."

Bulma gave Trunks a skeptical look. "This isn't something that's supposed to get you out of your punishment, is it?"

Trunks shook his head. "No. It's about Gohan. You see; Android Seventeen didn't kill him. I know this because I've been visiting him at Master Roshi's house."

"Is that so?" asked Bulma, knowing that Trunks usually never lied. She was still skeptical since she thought Roshi would've told her if Gohan were at his house. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You can ask Master Roshi if you want. He'll tell you. I just…I just thought you deserved to know mom. After what Seventeen said…I just couldn't keep this a secret any longer, knowing that if Gohan didn't return in time, that you might begin to think that the android was telling the truth."

"So let me get this straight. You've been sneaking off to Kame house and talking to Gohan, and for some reason, neither you, nor Roshi has decided to tell anyone else?"

"Yeah, that's about it. Gohan was injured in a battle with Seventeen though, so that part of the story was true…though Gohan told me that he had to fend for himself, and that nobody saved him."

"Well Trunks, this whole situation is getting pretty confusing, but I'm not happy about you keeping this big a secret from me, though I'll skip yelling at you since you decided to tell me the truth."

"What's my punishment?"

"Go to your room, and don't come out until its dinner time. I'm sure you'd find something to amuse yourself with until then."

"Right mom," replied Trunks as he walked past her, and into the building.

* * *

Seventeen howled in frustration as he searched the area around the house. His sister was nowhere in sight. _Damn it Eighteen! Where are you?_

The last thing he remembered was her kneeing him in the crotch, causing him to release her because of the pain. However, he quickly recovered from it, but by then, Eighteen had flown off. Seventeen didn't get a chance to see where she had gone.

His anger rose to a new level as he blamed this latest event on Gohan. _That bastard must've told her to do this. I bet he's been filling her head with all those terrible ideas since the day she rescued him…maybe even during their battle._

Screaming at the top of his lungs, he slammed his fist into the side of the house, causing a large dent. "GOHAN! YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY SISTER FROM ME!" Paranoia took over again as Seventeen flew across the land, calling out to his sister. "Eighteen! Eighteen where are you?"

There was no answer, which fueled his paranoia. _What if she's with him now? That must be it! She ran away from me and is fucking him, while I'm searching this wasteland like an idiot who got lost while trying to borrow next door!_

Seventeen came across a city that had been completely untouched until this point. The sign outside, said Pepper Town. As he stared into the streets, his highly tuned and artificially enhanced ears picked up the sound of laughter. It came from a variety of sources, such as children at the park, or lovers on a date, and friends at a party.

Unfortunately, the people didn't realize that there was a deranged android hovering over them. Their laughter only fueled his anger to dangerously high levels. _Those…those people! They're like ants! They're nothing compared to me! Yet they're laughing…laughing at me? Gohan must've told them! THAT BASTARD TURNED ME INTO A LAUGHING STOCK!_

Staring down at the people below with eyes filled with malice, Seventeen let loose a barrage of powerful ki blasts. He laughed like a maniac, drunken joy overcoming him at the screams of pain ad horror from the city below.

"Suffer! You will all suffer!" Seventeen charged a ball of ki that was slightly large than his head and with both hands, threw the chaotic orb of energy into the now ruined city center. "Got to hell humans! I'll send you all to hell!"

With madness in his eyes, Seventeen dove into the chaos that had once been a harmonious city. This action was soon followed by more screams of horror as he slaughtered the city's inhabitants.

* * *

Eighteen breathed slowly to calm down. She had always been wary of her brother's superior strength, but never thought that he would actually use it against her. The image of her brother face as he tried to restrain her haunted her now. His eyes and that crazy smiled all sent her one message, he was deranged, and out of control. She had no idea how he came to find out about Gohan being alive, but then, another feeling took over; fear.

She felt unsafe, even in her secret hideout. Seventeen had seen her with Gohan somewhere in the vicinity of her hideout, so he might think to come back here to find her. It quickly became apparent that she was in a fix. Seventeen's paranoia about her being with Gohan now posed a physical threat to her. Her heart and mind both told her to go to Gohan for help, or at the very least, stay near him so she could have is support if Seventeen came after her. However, doing so would play into Seventeen's paranoia and send him into an enraged state.

Running a hand through her hair, she began to worry about Gohan. _I hope his surgery is going okay. Oh…whom I kidding? I only want him to come out of this so he can protect me from Seventeen. I'm…I'm just so selfish._

Throwing herself back on the bed, she began to think about what she would do next. _Gohan still cares about me…I have to be there when he comes out of surgery. I owe it to him after all that he's done for me. I'll just have to make sure Seventeen isn't around to follow me._

Though she knew what she would do, Eighteen found it hard to muster up the will to get going. It wasn't because she was scared. She just didn't have much of a drive to get out. She was in some sort of neutral state, not really wishing to do anything.

The state didn't last, however, and she was soon getting up from the bed and making her way towards the door. Her senses were perked up to detect anything that would indicate her brother's presence in the area.

Cautiously stepping outside, she took off, heading in the general direction of Korin tower. Then, a massive explosion in the distance startled her. "What was that?" She stopped in mid-air to eye the area. _It must be Seventeen. That guy's just attacked a city…but at least I know he's there and not following me._

Eighteen continued her journey at a faster pace than ever. She let out a relieved sigh when the tower came into view. Upon reaching it, she began a vertical ascent to the top and beyond, where the lookout was.

Her arrival at the top startled Mr. Popo, who had been watering the flowers. "Android! You're here!"

Korin and Master Roshi came rushing out. "It's all right Mr. Popo," said Korin. "Roshi told me everything."

"Huh?" Mr. Popo turned to Korin with a look of confusion. "Told you about what? Is it something to do with the android?"

Korin nodded. "In short, she's on our side…or at least not an enemy of Gohan. However, her brother is still a threat." He turned to Eighteen with a grim expression. "I sensed what happened on Earth. Gohan might have to destroy your brother."

Eighteen remained unshaken. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but this isn't just one of his temper tantrums. He came at me earlier today…I think he's crazy."

"If Gohan and Seventeen have to fight," said Master Roshi. "Whom would you side with? Don't just answer to impress us or say Gohan because he's stronger. Who's side will your heart be on?"

"I…I don't know. After the way my brother treated me, I want to say Gohan. But I still feel a sense of loyalty to him. He's my twin, and we've been through a lot together. I just can't decide right now."

"When the time comes, you'll have to be ready," said Korin. "Your choice could be crucial in how the events play out. We've finished the surgery, but Gohan still won't be at one hundred percent for some time. You could say that his body will need to remember what it's capable of."

"How is he right now?" asked Eighteen anxiously.

"He's fine. Right now, he's sleeping," said Master Roshi. "You can go in and watch over him if you want."

"Thank you," replied Eighteen as she followed Korin to Gohan's room.

When they arrived, Korin turned to her. "I'll be taking Roshi home to Kame house on the nimbus cloud. Mr. Popo will be outside watering the plants if you need him."

Eighteen nodded as she sat in the chair next to Gohan's bed, staring down at the warrior, as he lay asleep. She didn't notice Korin leaving as she brushed away the hairs that obscured his face.

_He's so handsome, and cute when he's asleep._ She smiled tenderly as she saw his vulnerability. Reaching forward, she stroked his cheek. _I'm right here Gohan. I'll be here when you wake up._

She felt a strange sense of calmness and peace as she stared down at his sleeping form, gently touching his cheek. Most of her memories of him were of a fierce warrior, not the sleeping, vulnerable form that lay before her. Oddly enough, this didn't disturb her, and she stayed like this for quite some time, until Gohan began to stir.

As he opened his eyes, the light from the room forced him to squint; yet he could still make out Eighteen's presence next to him. Her intoxicating aroma was imprinted on his mind.

"Eighteen?" He began to sit up as his eyes adjusted to the light. _When did she get here?_

"Not too quickly Gohan." She held out her arm to prevent him from sitting up too quickly. Gohan complied with her request and lay back down. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright…I guess. I just feel like I'm waking up from a nap. How long have you been here?"

"I arrived just a few minutes ago."

"You're trembling." Gohan was worried as he read her emotions. He could tell that something had shaken her up. "What's wrong?"

"Its nothing," replied Eighteen.

"I know you're not telling me the truth." Gohan saw her tense up at that statement. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'll be ready to listen if you feel like talking."

Eighteen's anxiety seemed to fade with his words. He wasn't forcefully inquiring like her brother had. Gohan cared about her, and wanted to help her if she were willing to accept it. "I don't want you to fight him."

"Did he do this to you?" Gohan saw the marks on her wrist, marks that had come when Seventeen had pinned them. "Don't worry, I won't go out and pick a fight with him. I just want to know if he hurt you." He saw the worry in her eyes as they stared into his own. "Did he hurt you?"

She turned away from him for a few moments to prepare her words. "He wasn't thinking. I think he's gone insane or something like that. He just wasn't himself when he did it." She turned away again, this time a look of shame crossed her face. "You deserve better than this, Gohan. Better than me."

He sat up, and leaned in closer to her. "What're you talking about? I…I love you."

"But I'm not sure if I love you…at least not in the way I should. I came here because I hoped you would protect me, if my brother were to come after me."

"You're not selfish if that's what you're thinking," said Gohan as he cupped her chin and turned her now tear-swollen eyes to look at his. "There's nothing wrong with seeking protection against a threat. You could've regained his trust by leading him here and having him kill me, but you didn't. That's enough for me."

They seemed caught up in each other, neither one taking their eyes off the other. Slowly, they leaned in closer until their lips met. Their eyes clamped shut as they deepened the kiss. However, it didn't last long as Gohan sensed someone in the room.

Trunks stood at the doorway with his mouth agape. There was his mentor, lying in bed, and kissing the mechanical demon herself, the one who had been partly responsible for all the suffering this world had to go through. _I…I don't understand! It can't be._

Gohan and Eighteen pulled apart as Gohan got out of bed. "Hey Trunks. It's great to see you again." Gohan saw the outraged look on the young boys face and felt a wave of pity. "Hey little bro I'm sorry about this." He began walking towards Trunks so he could comfort him. He reached out to pat the boy. "I'll explain ev-"

"Liar!" Trunks angrily swatted his mentor's hand away. "You'll just lie to me like you did before!"

"There won't be any point in lying now. I'll tell you everything." He tried to touch the boy again, but Trunks leapt back.

"Don't touch me!" He then began to cry. "I…I hate you!" He turned and ran across the lookout.

"Oh dear," said Mr. Popo as he saw the distressed little boy. "Wait Trunks. Let Gohan explain everything." At that moment, Gohan and Eighteen came running out, and all three of them tried to catch up to the little boy.

Trunks turned around and yelled, "Stay back! You're all traitors!"

"That's not true," said Gohan as he calmly tried to approach the now crying boy.

"Get away from me!" Trunks turned super saiyan and fired a golden blast at Gohan.

Even in his normal form, Gohan could easily block the attack, but the resulting dust cloud obscured Trunks long enough for him to escape. When the dust cleared, he was gone, and his ki signature was miles away.

* * *

The last scene in the chapter was fun to right. I decided to portray Kid Trunks as more of an anti-android fanatic than a Gohan worshipper, so in short, his hatred for the androids overlies his trust for Gohan, expecially after all his mysterious disapearances. I know that you might be disappointed that Gohan can't go SSJ2 yet, but it'll come when the time is right, so don't worry about that. Also, to give you an idea of how strong Gohan will be, his SSJ2 should be around Majin Vegeta's Level.


	19. Problems

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

Note: I know some of you might not have liked me stating how strong ssj2 Gohan was, but his power will never be tested since nothing in this story will ever come close to it. Also, I wanted to make him stronger than Cell Games SSJ2 Gohan because he was older, and had been training for years, his power just kept getting locked away due to a reason that i explained earlier on. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Trunks tears flowed freely as he blasted through the air as a super saiyan. He wanted to be home, in his room, where he could lock himself away from the world. The image of his mentor, in a lip lock with the female android remained fresh in his mind.

When he reached the door, he didn't bother to knock as he opened it. Ignoring his mother, who rushed to see who it was, Trunks ran up to his room and locked himself in.

"Trunks?" Bulma's first instinct was to reprimand her son for sneaking out again, but the fact that he just ran up to his room and shut himself in was enough to overshadow that concern. Running up to her son's door, Bulma knocked hard and called out to him. "Trunks what's wrong?"

Through his sobs, Trunks was able to choke out some words. "Go away! I don't want to talk!"

Now Bulma was really worried. Her son was obviously distressed, and he had never shut her out like this before. _Poor kid, I wonder what could've caused this._

She was able to hear some words through the door. "G-Gohan! Why?"

Bulma's eyes widened, and she knocked even harder. "What happened with Gohan? Please tell me Trunks! I can't help you if you don't!"

"No! Why? Why did he do it?"

"Trunks? What did Gohan do?" Over the course of ten minutes, his sobs slowly died down to mere whimpers. Then, he opened the door, revealing a teary face.

"Mmmommy!" Jumping him to his mother's arms, Trunks buried his face in her shoulder.

Bulma had a sympathetic look as she patted her son, and rubbed his back. "There, there," she cooed, "its okay Trunks. Mommy's here. Don't worry. You can tell me everything. I won't be angry with you or punish you for leaving the house."

"I…I saw Gohan when I snuck out to the lookout."

Bulma sighed silently and listened. _So Gohan was at the lookout? I wonder what could've happened up there._

"He lied to us mom. I saw him kissing…" It was too much for him to bear, and he broke out into sobs again.

Bulma cooed him, rocking him back and forth as if he were a baby. "It's okay Trunks. Now tell me, who was Gohan kissing, and why did it bother you so much?"

"He was kissing…that…that monster!" Trunks began sobbing again.

Bulma's eyes widened. "What monster?" She patiently waited for her son to calm down. However, her mind had already formed a disturbing hypothesis. _Could…could there be any truth to Seventeen's story? I don't want to believe it, but when Trunks said monster…_

Trunks' sobs simmered down, and he took a deep breath and gulped down the lump in his throat. "It was android Eighteen."

Bulma was speechless, and seemed to go white at the implications of what Trunks had told her. _If what Seventeen said was true, and Gohan was at the lookout, then could he have killed Mr. Popo? Could he be planning to join them…no! Seventeen wouldn't attack him then, unless out of jealousy. Still…out of all the women he could've chosen, why her?_

Bulma didn't know what she would say to Gohan if she saw him again, however, she did know that she wouldn't treat him the way she had before. Making her son cry, whether intentional or not, was still wrong in her mind. Though it was the deception that really got to her. However, she had to remember that he was still a teenager, and would've struggled to do what was best, and on top of that, he was probably beating himself up about what happened with Trunks. The only certainty was that he was get a good talking to the next time they crossed paths.

* * *

When Korin returned to the lookout on his nimbus cloud, he saw Mr. Popo, Gohan, and Eighteen standing around in a solemn state. Eighteen was just standing there quietly, though she looked empathetic towards Gohan; the half-saiyan looked ashamed, while Mr. Popo looked worried.

"Hey everyone," said Korin as he leapt onto the lookout. "What's with all the long faces?"

"Trunks was here," said Mr. Popo, since Gohan wasn't in a mood to answer.

"Oh." Korin seemed to get the message. _I feel sorry for both of them. It must be hard for Trunks to find out about Gohan's secret relationship, and Gohan's probably beating himself up for keeping such a big secret._

"Poor little guy," said Gohan. "After what he saw, he's probably a nervous wreck right now." The shame was evident in his tone. His gaze was fixed on the ground and seemed on the whole to be droopy.

Eighteen took Gohan's hand in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. _I can't imagine how he's feeling. When Seventeen found out, he became angry and later insane. I just hope that shame doesn't overcome him. It's far worse than anything I've ever felt._

"Eighteen." Gohan turned to her, and mustered up a smile. "Please don't blame yourself for this. It's entirely my fault if Trunks hates me."

"No. This is nobody's fault," interjected Korin. "It's just an unfortunate series of circumstances that have resulted in a big mess. However, it is possible to fix all of this, at least with all of you friends Gohan." Korin's gaze shifted to the Earth below. "Seventeen is on a rampage right now. Stopping him should be our first priority."

"I can go find him right now," said Gohan, as if eager for redemption.

Korin shook his head. "No. You're still not able to use your full power yet."

"But I thought the surgery would solve that problem."

"It has, though not instantly. It'll be sometime before you can go up to full strength…maybe a few hours. You're body doesn't know that it can handle it's full power yet, so you'll have to wait and see. Trust me, you'll know when you're ready."

"How many people has Seventeen killed?" asked Mr. Popo.

"Many more than he normally would," replied Korin as he turned around to walk away. "I'll be heading back to the tower now. The senzu tree doesn't take care of itself. I'll trust you not to rush headlong into a fight with him Gohan. Even if you and Eighteen teamed up, you wouldn't be able to beat him."

As if a gut instinct told him to, Gohan turned to Eighteen, who had a look of uncertainty. "I won't force you to fight him. I'll understand if you don't want me to kill him either."

"I'll…understand if you have to…but please…just capture him, or show him that he's outmatched. Then he might sit down and listen for once."

Gohan knew that they would need to have a private talk about the state of things. "Come, let's go inside." He led Eighteen into the room he had been in, leaving Mr. Popo to continue his gardening duties.

They sat down on the bed, neither one speaking to the other. Both at an emotional draw, not knowing what to talk about first. There was the obvious topic of Seventeen's mental state. Would he be willing to listen to reason, even when beaten? Eighteen also hadn't decided whether she would side with Gohan if he had to kill her brother, though she stated that she would understand. Gohan also wondered how well everyone would take Eighteen's new nature. Not just his friends, but society in general. At least his friends and family would understand the concept of redemption, but the rest of the world would probably insist on some form of retribution.

Just as Eighteen opened her mouth to say something, Gohan's eyes widened as he sensed something. It was another one of Seventeen's attacks, but he noticed a trend. They were hitting closer and closer to home, closer to where his mother and grandfather lived.

"What's wrong?" Eighteen placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He's looking for me, and his attacks are hitting closer and closer to home." He stood up, and began walking outside.

"Wait! You can't fight him! Remember what Korin said?"

Turning super saiyan, he pulled her into a kiss. After break, he gave her a thumbs up. "I won't fight him. I'll just bring my mom and grandpa here where we can explain our relationship to them. I'll be there and back before Seventeen even reaches the place."

Before Eighteen could protest, he took off. Shaking her head, and groaning about manhood, she took off after him. _I don't think they'll trust me, but I want to help him._

When Gohan saw her catching up to him, he didn't bother stopping. "We won't have time to explain things to them there."

"Don't worry. We'll just grab them and you can talk on the way."

"Fine. I just hope things don't stall out too long, otherwise, we'll have a very deranged android to fight…no offense."

"None taken."

Chichi was in the middle of her usual routine, hanging clothes to dry. However, she had recently felt a sense of dread about the safety of her son. After Seventeen's visit, she began to wonder if Gohan was really dead, though she dismissed the other parts of Seventeen's story as slander.

Her father, the Ox King, came out to check on her. "Hello Chichi. Need any help with those?"

"No dad, I'm fine. You shouldn't be doing too much at your age."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me dear," replied the Ox King proudly, flexing is muscles. "I'm as fit as ever." Then, he saw two figures heading their way. "Oh my god! Look up there!"

Chichi's startled eyes turned upwards, but she couldn't make out the rapidly approaching figures. "The androids?" However, the figures soon got within the appropriate distance, and she was able to recognize one. "G-Gohan! Its Gohan, dad! He's alive!"

The Ox King didn't want to trounce her good mood, but he noticed something off. "Who's that with him? Is that…OH MY GOD?"

Chichi's mouth gaped as she also saw Eighteen flying alongside Gohan. _No! Gohan…my baby…he's with her! Was what Seventeen said, true?_

Gohan landed in front of his shocked family members. Looking from one to the other, he smiled. "Hi mom." However, Chichi and the Ox King were more focused on the woman standing next to him. Gohan noticed this and said, "Look, mom. I have a lot to tell you both, but we can't talk here. Seventeen is angry with me and he's on his way here now. Please trust me, and trust her."

Tears welled up in Chichi's eyes as she stepped forward and slapped her son, but it wasn't anything hard, and wasn't meant to hurt. "Shame on you! Keeping us worried like that!"

Gohan pulled his mother into a hug. "Sorry I worried you mom, but please come with us. We have to go now."

Chichi nodded and smiled weakly. "Okay, but you'll have a lot of explaining to do when you take us where you're going."

Gohan nodded, then let go of her and walked to his grandfather. "Eighteen, you should carry mom. I'll have an easier time carrying grandpa."

Eighteen nodded and went to pick up Chichi. The poor woman was shivering in fear. She was afraid of flying as it was, but with her life hanging in the hands of an android, she was more uneasy than usual.

"Don't worry mom. You can trust her. I promise." Chichi nodded and reluctantly allowed Eighteen to pick her up and carry her into the air. All four of them were soon airborne. "Hang on. We'll be flying to the lookout at a high speed."

"Wait wha-?" Chichi couldn't finish her sentence as Gohan and Eighteen blasted off at full speed towards the lookout.

Eighteen winced at Chichi's loud shrieks. "Hey, you don't need to worry. I won't drop you." As if to make her point, she tightened her grip on the woman, though not too tightly.

Chichi's shrieks simmered down into a mere whimpering. _Please be nearby. I don't want to fly anymore. I want my feet to be on firm ground._

Seventeen stared over the empty house with anger boiling inside of him. He could tell that it had been abandoned. Someone was busy hanging clothes, but left that task at the middle.

His paranoia came back as Gohan's smirking face reappeared in his mind. _That bastard's toying with me! He knew I'd come here so he left, and took his folks with him!_ "Curse you Gohan!"

A large ball of ki formed in his hand, and he let it loose on the empty house. The small building didn't stand a chance as it was reduced to a pile of rubble. With that place out of the way, Seventeen thought of the next place Gohan would usually hang out at.

A cruel smirk formed on his face. _He'll probably think I'll go to Kame House since it's closer, but I'll surprise him by going to West City. I'll squash that pipsqueak and the scientist in one go, and he'll be beating himself up for not anticipating my moves._

He broke out into hysterical laughter. However, he stopped as his thoughts then came to his sister. _I bet Gohan would trade my sister if I held one his friends hostage. Yeah…that must be it…Gohan's holding her hostage, and she's his mental slave. Don't worry sister. I'll save you._ Laughing hysterically, Seventeen took off and headed towards west city.

* * *

I know you all might be impatient about knowing the reactions everyone will have, but that's something I'm saving for the next chapter.


	20. Rampaging Android

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

Chichi and father sat at the end of a table. Gohan and Eighteen were at the other end. They had arrived at the lookout a short time ago, and Mr. Popo had showed them this room.

"Alright…I'll start from the beginning," said Gohan. "But first, what did Seventeen tell you?"

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Chichi began retelling what Seventeen had told her. "He said that Eighteen saved you, and took you away somewhere so she could rape you. However, instead of just raping and killing you, she made you her slave, brainwashing you. He then attack and tried to kill you because he felt you were coming between him and her."

"Well…that's partly true," said Gohan, sharing a brief glance with Eighteen before turning back to his mother and grandfather.

Eighteen took over. "I took Gohan after I beat him in a battle. I had made sure to knock him out instead of killing him with my attacks. I then tricked my brother and secretly carried him away to a place that my brother didn't know about. I wanted to rape him, but I didn't."

"I guess that's the part where Seventeen's story becomes slander," said Chichi.

Gohan nodded and took over the story. "I couldn't escape, so I decided to mess with her head. She became angry, and began to show human emotions. I thought that maybe…she could be human. She later told me that she was actually a cyborg. Originally she was a human, but then Gero turned her and her brother into cyborgs."

Chichi turned to Eighteen for confirmation. When she received an affirmative nod, she began to understand where this was going. A sly grin formed on her face. "I think I know where this is going. You and Gohan slowly grew close, and she let you go. You lied to us because you didn't think we'd understand, am I correct?"

Looking at each other with dumfounded expressions, the two looked back and nodded. "Wow mom," said Gohan. "I didn't expect you to figure it out so easily."

Crossing her arms, Chichi gave them a triumphant look. "I know you Gohan. Do think you can hide it from me." She and the Ox King chuckled when they saw the light blush creeping across Gohan's face. "So when can I expect grandchildren?"

"Mom!" Gohan face turned bright red, as Eighteen's eyes widened in shock. He then cleared his throat, to bring things back to a serious note. "We have a problem though. Seventeen, as you know, doesn't approve of this, and is currently searching for me. I should be able to handle him when I'm at full strength, but Korin said that I wouldn't be for a few hours. So until then, he's the most powerful force on the planet."

"Don't worry Gohan. I'm sure the world can last a few hours," said the Ox King.

Gohan let out a sigh. There was one question left to ask. "Mom…I know you and grandpa want me to settle down and have a family, but how do you really feel about me and Eighteen? You seem like you're happy for me, but I want to know how you really feel."

Chichi was taken aback by her son's words. She felt happy that he had found someone to love, but at the same time, felt uneasy about whom he had found. Had she not been influenced emotionally by the androids' reign of terror, she would've immediately yelled out her disapproval. The Chichi that sat before her son was a changed woman, being more calm and willing to listen to others, knowing well that the current moment could be her last chance to have a fond memory with them.

However it was her father, the Ox King, who spoke up first. "Gosh Gohan…I'm just shocked at the turn of events. Using Vegeta and Piccolo as examples, I can easily understand a bad person becoming a good guy. I just never expected anything like this, especially since I thought Seventeen and Eighteen were pure androids, and that reprogramming them was the only way to make them change. I don't really know what to think, and I can't say that I've let my guard down around her, but since she does have a human mind and human soul, I think there's a chance that this could work out."

Gohan couldn't help but smile. His grandfather's answer was levelheaded and filled with the wisdom he had gained over his long life. "Thank you grandpa. I can't blame you for anything. I'm just glad that you're open to all this and haven't just written it off as impossible."

With her father having stated his opinion, Chichi gained more confidence in her own. "I can't say that this is the woman I had in mind for you son. I can say that I know you love her. I can see it in your body language, and I'm happy for you. Like my dad, I'm a bit uneasy about all this, but I don't want to get in the way of any relationship that you two could have, if it's possible. Gohan, just be careful, and don't rush into things too quickly, especially since I'm not going to stop you on this one. You're a grown man, and I know that you can do what's right for you and this planet."

"Thanks mom," replied Gohan.

Mr. Popo then came running into the room with urgent news. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there's something you need to know Gohan. It's Seventeen! He's heading for West City!"

"What?" Gohan abruptly stood up. "I have to get Bulma and Trunks out of there!" He said goodbye to everyone before turning super saiyan and rushing out of the room.

"I'm coming too!" Eighteen rushed after him.

"Don't come! I don't want to put you in danger! Besides, Trunks won't come with me if you're there too. I'm sorry Eighteen, but it's best if I go alone. I can carry them both by myself."

"But-" Eighteen was stopped by a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Chichi.

"I normally wouldn't get in the way of any help for Gohan, but I'm confident in his judgment. Go on Gohan, I trust that you know what you're doing." When Gohan was gone, she gave Eighteen a sincere look. "Don't worry. Even if Gohan has to fight Seventeen, you'll have enough time to get there and help out. Besides, I need to ask you something that I couldn't ask in front of Gohan."

Eighteen gulped, she wasn't afraid of Chichi in any sense, but hoped that the older woman didn't have any objections she wanted to share. She followed Chichi to a place out of Mr. Popo and the Ox King's earshot and patiently waited for the questions.

"I said I wouldn't have complete trust you immediately, but that doesn't mean I wont accept you into the family. I just need to know some important things. Firstly, have you ever seen Gohan cry?"

Her eyes widened as she recalled how open Gohan had been when he still thought she was Jackie. She had seen the soft underbelly that lay beneath the hardened warrior. "I have…and I've also cried in front of him."

"That's good," replied Chichi in a sincere tone. "It's important for a couple to be open with each other and care about each other's feelings. Men can cry too, though Goku didn't really have any sob stories or demons in his closet. Secondly. I need to know that he's your number one just as you should be to him. I know that I until Gohan was born, I thought of Goku as the most important person in the world, and he felt the same way about me. I wouldn't let anyone, even my father, talk badly about him. It's important that you put Gohan first, and I'm not just saying this because I'm his mother."

"I…I'm not really sure about that one. I do know that not so long ago, Seventeen went off the deep end and tried to force me to tell him where Gohan was. I knew he was on the lookout, but denied any knowledge to him. I even kneed him in the balls to escape him."

Chichi saw a spark of emotion in her eyes. This compelled her to hug the younger woman. "You poor thing. I couldn't imagine ever doing that to my father."

Eighteen was shocked, but accepted the hug. "Thanks…mom." She regretted saying that last words as Chichi pulled back and gave her a funny look. "Sorry, I just-"

"It's fine," replied Chichi was a sweet smile. "In fact, get used to calling me that."

Eighteen felt a warmth and comfort that she had never felt before. When she was with her brother, she could feel the love, but it was just them against everyone else. With Gohan, she felt just his love initially, but now she felt something more. She felt acceptance into a group, something she could never feel from just her brother. However, she also wished her brother could also enjoy the acceptance she now felt, and hoped that he would give in to reason.

* * *

Gohan was relieved when he saw West City intact, or at least with no extra damage done since the last time he had seen it. _Thank god I'm not too late! I just hope they're willing to come with me before Seventeen gets here. The next place to go would be Kame House._

Trunks, immediately sensing his former mentor's presence, ran outside, followed by Bulma. "What do you want Gohan? Have you come to tell us another lie?"

"That's enough Trunks," said Bulma in a calmer tone. "Let's at least hear Gohan out." She then turned to Gohan and shot him a serious look. "Feel free to come down and talk, but it's only fair to warn you that I'll take anything you say with a grain of salt.

"Listen…I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but we can't talk here-"

"And why not?" Bulma was now glaring at Gohan. "Honestly, did you think I'd be willing to trust you after what Trunks saw? For all we know, you could be leading us to the androids. Maybe you even told them about my Time Machine project!"

"I'm serious Bulma. Seventeen is on his way here to kill you, and we have to get out of here."

"Isn't that convenient? You just so happen to be on our side after Trunks saw you in a lip-lock with that android, and now you think that you can lure us out of our home by telling us that Seventeen is coming here, to a city he hasn't really had an interest in. And why is it that you're not staying here to fight him. We're not the only people here."

Gohan felt trapped. Bulma wasn't as trusting as he had hoped. Her trust in his seemed to have shattered to easily. "You said you'd here me out."

"I will here you out, but I'll do it here, where I know the androids aren't coming to ambush us. How can I trust you Gohan. I want to believe that what my boy saw was a misunderstanding, but I can't just listen to you, and risk Trunks' on the chance that you haven't been brainwashed."

"It was a misunderstanding," replied Gohan. "I didn't have a chance to explain the truth to him."

"Which truth? The one where the locals save you, or where you were forced to fend for yourself? I'm sorry Gohan, but the complex web of lies you've lain shattered my trust. You kept us worrying, and when you did come, you told us half-truths or maybe even full-blown lies. How can we trust you, especially after we saw you kissing Android Eighteen on the lookout?"

Gohan had a crestfallen expression on his face. He knew his mother and grandfather were partial towards him, but Bulma wasn't going to give him the benefit of the doubt. _Why? Why couldn't she trust me like she trusted my father?_ "Please Bulma, just trust me this once. I'll be taking both of you to the lookout."

Bulma shook her head. "Sorry Gohan, but we're not going anywhere until you come up with an explanation."

"Fine, I'll give you a short version and tell you the full story when we get there. It all started when-" Gohan turned super saiyan and deflected an oncoming blast. _Oh no! He's here already?_

Seventeen smirked broadly as he hovered above Capsule Corp. "So you've finally decided to come out of hiding Gohan. Good, because no I'll have the pleasure of killing you. And this time, I'll make sure you're dead!"

Bulma suddenly felt a wave of guilt. _I shouldn't have grilled Gohan so hard. He was trying to save us, and now he has to fight Seventeen, but why didn't he just stay here to fight the android?_

Gohan stepped away from the Capsule Corp. doorway in order to draw Seventeen's attention away from the building. "Get back, both of you. I'll try and hold him off. Get away if you see a chance."

Seventeen's eyes narrowed as he looked around Gohan. "Is she in there Gohan? Is Eighteen in there?"

"No Seventeen. She's somewhere else. Why don't we talk? It doesn't have to be this way."

Seventeen growled in anger. "You stole her from me!"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "It's not as if she was your girlfriend. Why don't you go find one yourself, and leave her alone?'

"NO! I would never do something so despicable! We're androids! We can't go around with an inferior group like humans! We don't need anyone, only each other! That was, until you came along!"

"You forget Seventeen, you and Eighteen were once humans too, and Gero kidnapped you and turned you both into cyborgs. You're not true machines, just humans who've been horribly mutilated and given awesome power by a mad scientist."

Trunks, being a kid with less patience, hadn't been following along, but Bulma had been taking in their conversation. _Is this what Gohan would've told us if we had come with him? I think I'm beginning to understand what's been going on._

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Seventeen clutched his head, as if he had a massive headache. Then the laughter started, as Seventeen gave Gohan a sadistic grin. "She doesn't need you. She'll realize that when I kill you."

Gohan tried to block, but wasn't fast enough, and went flying into a nearby building. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was in an old office building, and behind him was a desk, which had broken his fall.

Seventeen rushed in after him, and picked Gohan up by the collar of his shirt. "You fool!" He punched Gohan in the lip, causing it to bleed. "Did you think you could cross Android Seventeen and get away with it!" Gohan's head jerked to the side, as he was it by another blow. "Did you think you could take my sister from me, and come between us?"

Gohan raised his arm and blocked another punch, he then used the momentum to lift his leg and land a kick on the side of Seventeen's head. This action didn't harm him much, but it did make him let go, allowing Gohan to gain some distance. Running through the hallways of the office, Gohan hoped that Seventeen would give chase instead of blowing the entire building up or switching over to Bulma and Trunks.

"I won't play games with you Gohan!" Seventeen let loose a barrage of ki blasts, which broke the building's many support beams, bringing the structure down.

Gohan flew out of the building to avoid losing his bearings in the collapse, but was sent to the ground with a sharp blow to the back. As he tried to get back up, he felt Seventeen's foot landing on his spine again, causing him to scream in pain.

Grabbing Gohan roughly by the hair, Seventeen began pummeling his face. "You stupid little boy! Do you really think Eighteen would have any interest in you besides your body?" A cruel grin formed as he thought of a few hurtful words. "She's a grown woman, and you're just a boy. If it weren't for that pretty little face of yours, she wouldn't give you so much as a passing glance. Don't kid yourself into thinking she cared for you in any other way."

Just then, Trunks landed a kick on the side of Seventeen's head, but despite being in his super saiyan form, he couldn't knock the android off his mentor. "Darn…this isn't good."

Dropping Gohan, Seventeen turned to Trunks with an ominous glare. "So you want to play kid? Here!" He sent Trunks flying into a building with a powerful punch. "Play with that!" Trunks crashed into a building and fell unconscious, immediately reverting to his normal form.

Satisfied with what he had done, Seventeen turned his attention back to Gohan, who had already started to get back up. "Please stop this Seventeen! Think about you siste-"

"Shut up! Don't pretend that you care about her more than I do! I am her brother, a lifelong companion and you're just a little monkey boy fling she's having."

"If I'm just a little fling, then why are you so keen to stop us?"

"You changed her! You made her forget who we are! You even made her think you were more important to her than I was!"

Gohan was about to say something, but flew back as Seventeen's fist connected with his jaw. He caught himself in the air and struggled to block Seventeen's relentless barrage of ki blasts. Seventeen rushed into through the barrage he had just fired, and kneed a surprised Gohan in the gut, causing him to double over. Seventeen then sent Gohan to the ground with a double-fisted smash.

Gohan's golden glow faded as he fell out of his super saiyan form. He was no unconscious and at the mercy of the deranged android. Seventeen loomed over his body with a cruel smirk. He extended his glowing hand, and was about to blast Gohan into oblivion when a well-aimed ki blast caught his attention, and he raised his arm to block it. The explosion that resulted from the contact obscured Seventeen's view, allowing Eighteen to snatch Gohan's body and carry him out of harm's way.

Seventeen waved his hand to get the dust out of his face. He maintained his smirk as he turned around to see his sister. "So you've come out of hiding Eighteen."

"I don't want to fight you Seventeen."

"I know you don't Eighteen, so why don't we get rid of that stupid boy who tried to split us apart."

"Gohan didn't try an split us apart. He's not a boy anymore either."

"Compared to us-"

"Compared to us, he's only Eighter years younger! There are couples with even larger age gaps out there! Oh and, in case you haven't noticed, he's grown into a mature eighteen-year old…no, he seems older and more mature than even that, while you've still the same bratty little brother you were back when we first escaped Gero!"

Seventeen clenched his fists angrily. "He's changed you. HE STOLE YOU FROM ME!" Rushing forward, he pinned Eighteen beneath him, causing Gohan's body to fall to the side. "COME BACK EIGHTEN! COME BACK TO ME!"

"He doesn't want to come between us! We're allowed to be with others and still maintained our friendship!" Eighteen struggled to break from, but wasn't strong enough.

"No! We only need each other! You don't need him! I'm the only one you need, and I'll prove it right now!"

Eighteen the felt something twitch down below. "NO! Seventeen! That better be a wrench-" She was silence as her brother forced his lips onto hers.

* * *

That last scene was just a spur of the moment idea. I think it really shows how far gone Seventeen is. Also, I know Chichi might seem out of Character, but this is Mirai Chichi, so I'm sure she's at least a partially changed woman.


	21. Explosion

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or have any rights to it.

* * *

For a few moments, Eighteen was immobilized with fear and confusion as Seventeen attempted to deepen the kiss. However, she quickly regained her sense and roughly wrenched her lips away from his.

Seventeen seemed confused and upset at her actions. "Why Eighteen? Why are you resisting me? Why won't you accept my love?"

"I can't accept that kind of love from you Seventeen. We're siblings, so we can't have that kind of relationship. It might seem confusing to you, but I can't comprehend a relationship like that between us. It seems wrong on different levels."

"Yet you'd accept the same kind of love from Gohan?"

"That's different. He's not a relative."

"Bah! Such ideas and norms are for humans!" He gave her a sly grin. "We, dear sister, need not bend to such rules."

"You're wrong Seventeen! This was my view even before Gohan and I got together. Twins can't have a sexual or romantic relationship. It's not something my mind accepts."

"Is that the only reason you're not accepting me? Is it only because I'm you're brother. What is it about Gohan that made you choose him, out of all the other men that are out there? Why him Eighteen? Why'd you have to choose the bane of my existence?"

"He wasn't the bane of your existence until he started loving me. Unlike you, he didn't force anything onto me. Sure…it seemed odd to fall for the person we had been trying to destroy, but I soon came to rediscover my humanity. Why don't you give it a chance brother? You're human to-"

"I AM NOT HUMAN! I refuse to accept that part of me! Humanity is the past. We are the future."

"But it's our past that shapes our future!"

Seventeen slowly rolled off Eighteen, and then began forcibly caressing her cheek. "You used to be mine! It was you and me against everyone else! What changed? What did Gohan do to you?"

"He showed me my humanity, and helped me appreciated the world we live in. Have you ever once asked me how I felt?"

Seventeen flinched at her upset tone. _What kind of person has she become? It'll take years for me to scrub Gohan's filth out of her!_

"I…I've never cried when I'm around you. You've always looked down on our human emotions. At least Gohan cared enough to let me express how I truly felt. No one else, not even you, dear brother, has accepted the true pain that I felt when Dr. Gero turned us into androids. You simply ignored it and moved on to killing people, and getting revenge for it. It is because he listened, that Gohan understands me in a way you never could!"

Seventeen's eyes widened in shock. "That…that's the last straw!" He got up, and picked her up by the collar of her shirt. "You ungrateful bitch!" He sent her flying with a punch to the face. "I killed Gero! I got us out of that horrible laboratory, and I killed the biggest threat to our existence, Vegeta!"

"You've been a good brother Seventeen," said Eighteen as she got up, wiping the blood from her cheek "But I have the right to find a lover, and get married and have children." Tears began flowing from her eyes. "I don't want to fight against you. Why can't you just accept this?"

Seventeen's eyes were wide as he watched his sister crying. _No! Eighteen doesn't cry! She's not supposed to be weak! Gohan made her weak! How could he? She's my sister! He had no right to do this to her! She's become a disgrace, so I'll have to beat some sense back into her!_

Eighteen fell back down as Seventeen's fist connected with her cheek. "Stop crying!" said the enraged android. He began slapping her cheeks. His rage was evident, he was furious with her. "Why…won't…you…stop…CRYING?" He then grabbed her by the collar and began shaking her violently. "You're being weak Eighteen! BE STRONG! BE STRONG!"

Gohan's eyes fluttered up and his ears picked up the sound of yelling, in addition to another sound. Someone was crying. He recognized the voice…it was Eighteen! Anger, welled up inside of him as he felt his power surge. After many long years, he was finally going to realize his true potential.

He slowly stood up as a golden aura flared around him, his hair spiking as he stood at his full height. His eyes turned turquoise, but the transformation didn't stop there. His eyes spied Seventeen, and a sobbing Eighteen. _How could he? He's hurting his own sister! He's hurting the one I love! I won't let him hurt her! HE WON'T HURT HER!_

Seventeen stopped his assault on his sister and turned to see the source of the yelling. At the center of a swirling, golden aura, stood the bane of his existence. Gohan's eyes lacked any pupils now and lightning crackled throughout his aura, giving it the appearance of a raging storm.

After a few seconds, Gohan's aura stabilized and his eyes reappeared as he reigned in his new power. "Seventeen! Leave her alone!"

Calling on his previous experience with super saiyans, Seventeen showed no fear. He wasn't one to be intimidated by someone's appearance, and simply smirked at Gohan's new form. He lacked energy sensors and didn't realize how powerful Gohan had become.

"You don't scare me with your fancy light shows, but if you want to die early, I'll be happy to oblige." Seventeen rushed headlong into Gohan, but was swatted away by the mere flick of his wrist. His eyes widened and he raised his arms to block an attack, but to his surprise, there was none.

Gohan had only wanted to get Seventeen away from Eighteen. Once that was accomplished, he was right by her side, checking to make sure she was okay. "There, there, I'm here for you."

Eighteen was shaking as she looked up into his eyes. "G-Gohan…"

"Ssh. You don't need to explain anything. I've got you." Picking her up, he cradled her in his arms. "I'm not going to let him hurt you. I'll protect you."

Reaching up, she caressed his cheek with her hand, smiling as she stared into his turquoise eyes. "You're at full power now. "

"I am…Will you be okay?"

"I will, and how about you. Does it hurt? Can your body handle the power?"

"I'm fine." He wiped the tear trails off her cheeks, still holding her against him with one arm. "You look beautiful. Too beautiful to have to cry like that."

As Seventeen watched the loving exchange, he was filled with a mixture of jealousy and disgust. His fists were clenched so tightly that blood had started leaking out of his palms. His glare had absolutely no effect on the lovers, who were more focused on each other than anything around them. _That…bastard! He's stealing her away from me!_

Gohan's sharp senses detected the oncoming ki blast and he put up an energy shield. He kept it up as Seventeen launched a relentless assault of punches and kicks. "Stop it Seventeen! I don't want to fight you. If you apologize to your sister, and agree to stop killing, I'll forgive you."

"Please listen Seventeen," pleaded Eighteen.

"Listen? You want me to listen to him? After all those years of destroying cities together, you want me to throw it all away and forget about my undying hatred of mankind?"

"Let it go Seventeen. It's all in the past. You don't have to be a slave to your hatred. Even if the people of this planet don't forgive you, we can always go to namek and use the dragonballs there to help out."

Seventeen shook his head and began to laugh. "You act as if you've already won. Did you forget whom you were dealing with? I am Android Seventeen! I can defeat any Z-Fighter, including you Gohan."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "I have you outmatched in both speed and strength. How could ever hope to defeat me?"

A sadistic grin came to his face. "I'll just have to exploit your weaknesses. Or have you forgotten that the other two are defenseless!" At that moment, he fired two ki blasts, one at Capsule Corp. where Bulma was, and the other at the unconscious Trunks.

Gohan was unfazed by this desperate act as he beat one of the blasts to Trunks, scooped the little boy into his arms, and then took him and Eighteen to where Bulma was before blocking the other ki blast with a shield. "Like I said, you have not hope to defeat me." Gohan set Trunks on the ground, but maintained his hold over Eighteen, who was still clinging to him.

Seventeen growled in frustration before letting loose a more powerful ki blast. "Die! I don't care anymore! I want you all dead!" However, he lost his thunder when Gohan simply swatted the attack away. Seventeen was now fearful as he began taking steps back. "You! You turned her against me!"

"You did that on your own Seventeen," replied Eighteen. "But it's not too late to change."

"No! I won't allow this!" Seventeen's paranoia took hold again. "I can't allow it to end like this! If I'm going down, I'll take you all with me!" Seventeen spread his arms and legs out as he began to glow red.

Eighteen was horrified. "He-He's going to self-detonate! We can't stay here, we'll all end up dying!"

Seventeen began laughing, and with his body heating up and vibrating rapidly, the sound was distorted and was more demonic. "What're you going to do now Gohan? Even if you do leave, all those INNOCENT people here will die! Are you sure you'd want them on you conscience?"

Letting go of Eighteen, Gohan maintained a stoic expression. He stepped forward and said, "I'm sorry it has to end this way Seventeen." He extended his hands and formed an energy shield, but this one, shielded Seventeen from the rest of the world.

Seventeen remained unfazed. "You really think that shielding me from everyone will do anything? You'll only end up killing yourself and everyone around you. Seventeen continued to his crazy laugh until he was engulfed and artificial energy. Then there was a big boom, which strained the border of Gohan's shield, however, it held, and when the smoke inside cleared, Seventeen's body was nothing, but a pile of ash.

Gohan stepped back and powered down. He turned to Eighteen who had tears welling up in her eyes.

"My brother…" Latching onto Gohan, she cried into his chest. For all her life, a future without him had been inconceivable, and that included when she was with Gohan. Now he was gone, and without any dragonballs, there was no way to bring him back.

Gohan's eyes softened as he gently stroked her hair. "It'll be okay Eighteen. I'm here for you."

"Gohan…" Her sobs lessened and soon became sniffles, though tears continued to streak down her cheeks. She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but smile slightly, at his loving gaze. "Call me Jackie."

"All right Jackie," replied Gohan with a smile. "Will you be okay if I carry you back to the lookout?" She nodded, while burying her face in his chest and keeping it there. Gohan then turned to Trunks, who was just beginning to stir. "Hey little man."

"H-Hey Gohan." Trunks raised an eyebrow when he saw the cyborg crying in his mentor's arms.

"Get your mother Trunks, we're all going to the lookout. I'll explain everything there, I promise."

"What about Seventeen?"

"He's…" Not wanting to upset Eighteen with the word, 'dead', Gohan simply pointed to the pile of ash where Seventeen had detonated.

Trunks became somber as he began to connect the dots. "Oh…I'll go grab mom."

* * *

An Hour Later…

Eighteen had finally calmed down, but was still sitting in Gohan's lap for comfort. Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, Turtle, Korin, Mr. Popo, Bulma, Trunks, Chichi, and the Ox King were gathered around them, listening to Gohan telling the story. They had all agreed to remain quiet and save the questions until it was over.

Gohan let out a deep sigh as he ended the tale, and turned to Eighteen for confirmation. "I think you got everything," replied Eighteen with a weak smile.

Trunks raised his hand, and Gohan called on him. "Why did you suddenly believe that you could change her? I mean…she's changed now, but how did you know you could do it?"

Gohan's eyes closed as he thought a way to put it. _This won't be easy for him. I used his father as an example to convince myself that it could be done._

"Gohan?"

"Trunks…I'll have to tell you something about your father first before I can answer that." He turned to Bulma, who reluctantly nodded. Turning back to Trunks, with a serious expression, Gohan started telling him about his father's dark past. "Your father was one of us…well, on the way to becoming one of us, when he was killed, but he was originally an enemy who came to Earth to destroy it."

"But what does he have to do with her?"

"Trunks, your father killed…more people than…than the androids ever could." He saw the boy's eyes widening in surprise, but could tell the Trunks was sucking it up and waiting for more. "He caused, what it took Jackie and her brother eight years to do, in a matter of days. If he could change and even start a family, why not her and her brother?"

Trunks felt like he waned to scream, but also thought that his father would think badly of him if he were watching. _I…I understand Gohan's reasoning…I'll definitely need to talk to mom about dad in the near future. It makes me wonder how someone like him every got to become my father._

Bulma rubbed her son's back, to comfort him. "I think I get it now. You thought you could change her, just like Piccolo and Vegeta changed. In fact, a lot of our friends were once bad guys too. You had no other choice, so you helped her rediscover her human emotions, and you kept this a secret, because you were afraid of how we would react to it, or you felt that we weren't ready to know."

"Yes…that's all true. I'm sorry for all the lies."

Bulma shook her head. "They were understandable. Besides, that statement you made to Trunks about Vegeta basically negated objections I would've had. Especially after you told us that she was part human and not a full android." She then turned to her son. "I'm sorry you had to find out at such a young age, but everything Gohan said was true." Looking back up at Gohan, she smiled. "Off course, Vegeta was never as open with me about his feelings as you two are with each other."

Gohan smirked, but then became a bit more serious. "We'll have our work cut out for us, cleaning up the damage from the past eight years. It won't be easy, but I think we can do it."

"It'll be a problem for Eight-Jackie," said Chichi. "Everyone knows Eighteen, I mean, Jackie's face. We'll have a problem if she goes into town to help out. Sorry, but I'm still used to calling you Eighteen."

"It's fine. Besides, I can always disguise myself," replied Eighteen. "I don't think anyone will recognize my voice, and I'm using a human name. They shouldn't really suspect anything unless I show them my powers."

Master Roshi got up and stretched. "Well, there's a lot of work to do. We'd better have a game plan soon. For now, I suggest we all go home and rest."

Gohan looked down at Eighteen. She seemed far too comfortable to move at the moment. "Jackie and I will stay here for a little while longer."

Everyone left the room, with a renewed sense of hope. There were no current threats to the earth, and the team of two protectors had turned into three. Gohan had found his love, and there was always the option of going to Namek to fix the damage the androids had wrought. The world was too far-gone for them to bring anyone back, but they knew that there were other useful ways they could use the wishes and it would always be nice to see the Nameks again.

* * *

I know it's disapointing that Seventeen didn't join them and become good. I'm not particularly good with closure, so I just decided to try and give a hopeful feeling at the end, and leaving all the options open instead of a 'Happily Ever After' ending. Besides, this isn't meant to be the happiest story, even if the overall ending is happy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and now I'm going to continue working on the last chapter of 'Odd Affection'(which I haven't even touched in a while). Hopefully I can get it done soon and then move on to the next story on my priority list(I have far too many stories to update!).

Also, about the explanation to Bulma and Trunks, they basically understood that Gohan was on their side when he protected them from Seventeen. All that he would've really needed to do was tell them the truth and explain his reasoning.


End file.
